Cape Cod won his first start by an astonishing 13 lengths on Sunday (wonder what his MR will be?). Now we have something to think about. Is the Mullins Bay (GB) colt really as good as he looked or maybe the rest of the field hated the heavy going? Either way Kirk Swanson’s charge has ability.

Callan Murray was in the irons and Cape Cod is owned by the Brooklyn Bullet Trust (nom: A. J. Joseph), Merlyn Chant, Sterling Miller, Richard Morgan and Anna Mason. Have fun.

It was a marvellous day for mudlarks at Borrowdale Park on Sunday.  The going was heavy – penetrometer reading 32 – but, even so, most winners were well fancied.  However, the Pick 6 has a net carryover of $56,545.89 which bodes well for punters at the Ipi Tombe meeting on February 19.

Kirk Swanson saddled the winners of five races, with the other two events going to the Stidolph yard.  In the main the runners who scored kicked on from the start, held position, and found extra when the rest of the field cried enough. Close finishes were not  the order of the afternoon.

First-timer Cape Cod, a three-year-old colt by Mullins Bay (GB) and bred by Summerhill Stud,  turned the 1260m Maiden Plate into a procession, finishing an easy 13 lengths clear of Bridget Stidolph’s Glorious Dawn. Callan Murray rode Cape Cod for Swanson and the owners are the Brooklyn Bullet Trust (nominee Mr A.J. Joseph), Merlyn Chant, Sterling Miller, Richard Morgan and Anna Mason.

The Stidolph yard came up roses in the next two races.  The Alado (GB) gelding, Coachella, with Fanie Chambers up, kept the 1200m Graduation Plate from stable mate El Gallo – winning margin 6.75 lengths. Coachella has now had back to back wins for Zimbabwe racing lynch-pin John Koumides, who had another three winners later. The gelding was bred by Professor I.M. Sanne.

Ice Pack, with Brendon McNaughton aboard and starting at 28/1, held off Supa Challenge by 3.75 lengths in the 1600m MR 75 Handicap.  Noble Peer and Comanche Brave followed. This was a fifth win for Ice Pack (by Western Winter (USA) who was bred by Nutfield Stud. He is owned by Messrs G. Readings and R. Sherwood, G.S. Perkins, S.N. Buchan and N. Evans.

David’s Flower was pulled up during this race when Ryan Munger felt something was amiss.  Fortunately the Australian bred gelding will soon be back, having over-reached and suffered a cut on the near fore.

From then on the afternoon belonged to the Swansons.

Hot favourite Flasher On The Run, kept clear of second favourite Don’tfencemein by 4.25 lengths in the 1700m Maiden Plate with Sherman Brown in the irons. The three-year-old gelding by Bold Silvano was bred by Ascot Stud. He has been placed in all his previous four starts.

Stirling Road (7/1)  and Callan Murray finished 8 lengths in front of Al Salaam in the 1700m MR 55 Handicap. Valmont and Bullion Bay completed this Quartet which paid $ 1375.70.  The winner is by Judpot (USA) and was bred by Hemel ‘n Aarde Stud. He has now won five races.

Mullins Bay (GB) and Summerhill Stud featured for the second time when the 1600m Allowance Plate for three-year-olds went to Haga Haga and Callan Murray, with Megagram only two lengths back, followed by the favourite ,Phantom Major, and Determination.  Congratulations to owners, Ben Mugabe and Ronald Mhizha.

There was a false start to the last race, the MR 94 Handicap, but all ended well with Road To Dubai recording his ninth victory.  The five-year-old son of The Sheik was bred by Scott Bros and ridden by Sherman Brown.  Super Good came second, then Madigan and Newton Power.

Sheik’s Brashee was a late scratching here due to “insufficient work and being unfit to race (Stewards Permission)”.

Although it was a rather dreary afternoon, weatherwise, with patchy showers,  but the Ipi Tombe Room was well supported with some new faces.  Very encouraging.

PS. It is whispered that Borrowdale Park could soon have another trainer….. something is in the pipeline.

PPS.  Borrowdale Park jockey, Kevin Derere recently took a quick flip to Ngong and won the Kenya Britam Guineas.  It’s all happening!

Photographs… ABOVE: Haga  Haga ridden by Callan Murray. BELOW: Road To Dubai ridden by Sherman Brown.  Both horses trained by Kirk Swanson.

For Sunday February 5th  -From the official MTC race card

Race 1: Maid In The Moon (9), Arial (6), Jay Kay Two (3), Cathayness (7).

Race 2: El Gallo (2), Supa Wonder (3), Tamarind (1), Coachella (4).

Race 3: Noble Peer (2), Supa Challenge (4), David’s Flower (5), Comanche Brave (1).

Race 4: Flasher On The Run (1), Don’tfencemein (6), Danger Dan (2), Delta (5).

Race 5: Valmont (8), Myths And Legends (6), Esprit de Corps (7), Baumgartner (4).

Race 6: Phantom Major (2), Kevin Barry (1), Karatu (5), Devil In Command (3).

Race 7: Super Good (4), Newton Power (5), Road To Dubai (3), Eurakilon (2).

Super Good and Road To Dubai 100m out in the Hachiman Sprint

Racing returns to Borrowdale Park on Sunday for the first time since January 8, and the state of the going will probably remain in the lap of the rain gods until the very last minute.  Add to that whispers that thanks to recent heavy rain trainers have been unable to work horses as they would like to.

So, to be frank, most of us won’t have a clue who will win what, but it really doesn’t matter because we are no longer bored out of our minds. All going well it is back to live action at Borrowdale on Sunday, the final fields have given us something to think about, and we have a chance to catch up with everything we have been missing for weeks.

Of course racing has continued elsewhere while Borrowdale was rained off but, although interesting,   it is not quite the same as action on one’s home turf.

Naturally I can be counted amongst the clueless but don’t think for a moment that is putting me off.  At the end of the day I will have the pleasure of pondering the actual outcome…and making mental notes, perhaps, about which horses liked softer going, less work, or had the class to shine, despite some give in the ground and a heavy weight.

The seven race card includes two Maiden Plates – the first race which is over 1260m and the fourth, over 1700m.  I am never mad about maidens so won’t get too excited about the first event where five of the 9 runners are unraced.   In the 1700m event I will be watching Flasher On The Run, Danger Dan and Don’tfencemein – just because.

The 1200m Graduation Plate, which is the second on the card, may give some indication of how things will proceed during the afternoon.  Tamarind, El Gallo, and Supa Wonder all carry 60kgs, while Coachella is on 57,5 kgs.  This quartet has merit but we also have a host of fillies, some of whom are distance suited, and all with weight on their side.

Next up is the 1600m Merit Rated 75 Handicap.  Only six runners but a fascinating field.  Comanche Brave hefts top weight of 61.5 kgs here, with Noble Peer and Perfect Grace not far off that.  Can they hold off Supa Challenge (57), David’s Flower (54.5) and Ice Pack (52)?   I won’t be too surprised whoever triumphs.

There is a chance of a killer quartet in the 1700m MR 55 Handicap and apart from taking the obvious, do not ignore Quick Glance and Valmont, both of whom will have claiming jockeys aboard. Only trouble is, when it comes to the obvious, there are seven or eight runners I would like to include.

Several of the horses in the 1600m Allowance Plate, such as Kevin Barry, Phantom Major, Devil In Command and Haga Haga, missed out on the cancelled Guineas Trial.  Kevin Barry disappointed his many supporters in the Tote Free Handicap, having won his previous three starts.  Will he make amends here?

At this time of the year, when we are still trying to assess the abilities of the current three-year-old crop, races such as the Allowance Plate have particular appeal.  However, in my view Sunday’s get-out-stakes,   a 1260m Open MR Handicap, is the race of the day.

Super Good won the 1100m Hachiman Sprint on January 8, having previously scored over Sunday’s trip on December 18.

He stepped up in class for the Hachiman, and finished 3.75 lengths clear of champion sprinter Road To Dubai, with Sheik’s Brashee even further back.  That day Super Good was receiving 6 kgs and 9kgs from Road To Dubai and Sheik’s Brashee, respectively – his weight advantage is now cut to 2kgs and 4kgs.

Another very interesting runner is Newton Power, now trained by Amy Bronkhorst, who will be receiving weight from the field, bar Madigan.

Eurakilon and Madigan are most likely out for the run, sprinting not being their game. Top-weighted Sheik’s Brashee seems to prefer slightly shorter trips.

Providing the going is reasonable I expect Super Good, Road To Dubai and Newton Power to be involved in an exciting finish.

The first race is due off at 12 30.  Hold thumbs for sun

… AND START SPREADING THE WORD

Do you remember what a horse looks like? The last Borrowdale Park race meeting was on January 8 and due to heavy rain there is no chance of another before February 5.  Being a racing insider you may be a little bored but will be in no danger of forgetting the thrills and excitement provided by your favourite pastime – and the magnificent animals responsible.

It is hard to accept that the majority of people living within a 50 km radius of our racecourse have no idea what they are missing.  That must change and you can help it happen.

Once upon a time Borrowdale Park’s stands were packed with enthusiasts of all races, but somewhere along the way we lost them – a grievous mistake  Now we need to get them back.

A while ago I read an article on Facebook which originated on a WordPress blog entitled Blinkers Off.  I probably gave out the link at that time – https://blinkers-off.com/2016/04/17/connecting/

Our circumstances are very different but the message remains dynamic. The author, Nicolle, was vaguely aware of the USA Triple Crown races and eventually made it to a race track, and…. “That day, I may not have left the track with much more than I showed up with, but I left with something I never had before: a burning need to keep coming back.

“It made no sense to me.  Horses were gorgeous, of course, and I wanted to be around them.  But, from this outsider’s perspective, Horse Racing seemed concentrated on two worlds, neither of which would ever have a place for me.  Either you had to be glamorous enough to befit the Sport of Kings, or you had to have grown up around horses. “

However the racing bug had bit and she went back for more although those first visits were “solitary affairs”.   With the help of racing feeds on Twitter Nicolle began to feel less of an outsider and with that came the realisation that many racing outsiders were lacking one thing – a connection.  Please read this article because it says so much more.

I am sorry to say that at Borrowdale we are not making much of an effort to supply that  vital connection, although racecourses around the world have woken up to the fact that outsiders have to be encouraged to be insiders if racing is to survive.

Ashleigh Hughes, originally from Zimbabwe but now based in Gauteng, has an excellent Facebook  page, Love Racing,  https://www.facebook.com/groups/LoveRacingSouthAfrica/ which is full of information for racing outsiders . In addition she is also on Twitter, spreading the word, and has been known to round up groups of outsiders and get them to a race course for further indoctrination.

Have a look at Ngong’s Facebook page – Ngong Racecourse – where some goodhearted people have already shared news about Borrowdale Park.  The Jockey Club of Kenya –https://www.facebook.com/Jockey-Club-of-Kenya-495496583839544/– are also in on the act and presently plugging the Britam Kenya Guineas with vigor.  Ngong is a smaller centre than Borrowdale but right now they can teach us a thing or two.

So how can you help?  By liking, sharing and commenting on everything you come across that mentions Zimbabwe racing, starting with my Facebook pages Mashonaland Owners & Trainers and Zimbabwe Owners & Trainers .

The MOTA page includes Zimbabwe racing, and international racing, because we are part of a worldwide community and this makes life interesting.  Zimbabwe Owners & Trainers is for those who only want to read about Borrowdale Park.  It has its followers but the Mashonaland Owners & Trainers  page is far more popular.

These two pages have never had any form of paid promotion.  That is why the liking, sharing and commenting is so important…it attracts attention.   I am very grateful to those who are already doing this but more help is necessary.

Last but by no means least is Twitter – @zimracing – which could be our major weapon, because thousands of Zimbabweans are busily tweeting away but not following racing – yet. Unfortunately, one could count on ones fingers the Twitter account holders, based in Zimbabwe, who have a real or vested interest in Borrowdale Park.

Right now racing in Zimbabwe is battling a bit, but we have been there before, and we are still here.  Let’s do what we can to keep it that way.

The Mashonaland Turf Club has advised that the 29 January 2017 Borrowdale Park meeting has been abandoned due to unsafe going, caused by persistent rain for the past two weeks.

Horses are unfit, training having been severely hampered by the rains and the MTC failed to obtain the required number of starters at declaration stage.

The Mashonaland Turf Club and the trainers have agreed to postponing the 22nd of January 2017 Borrowdale meeting to the 29th of January 2017.

Due to excessive rainfall last week (227 mm) the course is wet and closed. The weather forecast is for more rain to come.

Sean and Paul Gorringe, ardent supporters of local racing, were in full cry at Borrowdale Park on Sunday – together with most of their friends. 

They got off to a good start when Cool Solution, in whom they have more than a passing  interest, won the second race on the card. Later came the cherry on top – when the locally-bred Supa Wonder drew well clear in the get-out stakes, a 1100m MR 50 Handicap.  He started at 8/1.

By Soar With Eagles (USA) out of Dupa Dear (ZIM), Supa Wonder has now won two races and been placed four times from 11 starts.  He is trained by Kirk Swanson and Keagan de Melo was in the irons.   The enthusiastic owners are Sean, Paul and Ursula Gorringe, Alan and Murray Smith, Vikas Patel, Gary Carter and Paula Lewis. Supa Wonder was bred by Sandford Farm.

Bridget Stidolph saddled Placid Sea (Chambers) and Valmont (*Sawere) who finished first and second on Sunday in the 1800m Novice Plate. Haga Haga and Golden Mystery ran third and fourth.

By Sabiango (GER) the four-year-old filly, Placid Sea, has won two of her three starts at Borrowdale. She was bred by Maine Chance Farms and is owned by the Newbury Racing Syndicate. –  Valmont  belongs to Newbury Racing and Wilgersbosdrift. Congratulations to Gael and Denis Evans and everyone else concerned. — with Bridget Stidolph, Gael Evans and Fanie Chambers.

Cool Solution, with Sherman Brown up, carried top weight to victory in the 1200m MR 70 Handicap, holding off a challenge from Kirk Swanson’s other runner,  Gotago.

The son of Mullins Bay (GB) is owned by Ron Mhizha, Sean Gorringe, Z.R. Lusengo, Sterling M. Miller, D.K. Ward, Mark Wood, Gary Carter, Paula Lewis, Ursula Malan and Anna Mason. He was bred by Summerhill Stud and has now won four of his 9 starts.

Solinski, by Fencing Master (GB), opened her winning account in the first Borrowdale race of 2017, a 1200m Maiden Plate, her second start.

This was the first of three winners from the Swanson yard.  Keagan de Melo was aboard and Solinski was bred by Sarahdane Stud. She is owned by the Dixie Chick Syndicate, Jackie and Duncan Cocksedge, Dubbles Draper, Ursula Malan and C. John Smith. Definitely a good way to start off the New Year.

Photograph: Zimbabwe Equine News

The Gavin MacLeod trained Aloft staked her claim as a likely Zimbabwe Triple Tiara contestant, when an easy winner of the 1700m Maiden Plate at Borrowdale on Sunday.

The three-year-old Main Aim (GB) filly showed her field a clean pair of heels, finishing four lengths clear of Flasher On The Run with Danger Dan and In The Oven trailing.