The five-year-old Rebel King mare, Carla The Rebel, won the 1800m ZRP Fillies Charity Stakes at Borrowdale Park on Sunday – winning margin 1.25 lengths, starting price 9/2.

Her stable mates, Scarlett Ice and Ladies First, ran second and fourth, while Print The Pounds had to settle for third place.

Photograph: Zimbabwe Equine News. Comanche Brave winning the 1600m MR 74 Handicap, with style.

Racing needs heroes.  It seems Zimbabwe racing may have an up and coming rising star in Comanche Brave but,  just how good is he?

We should find out on Sunday when the son of Kahal (GB) runs in the MR 80 Handicap over 1800m. To date the four-year-old gelding has raced seven times, and in his five races at Borrowdale Park has scored three times – impressively.

This week I would prefer to do anything other than think about racing previews. Not because Sunday’s Borrowdale Park fields are boring – quite the opposite in fact. Two of the seven carded races have obvious choices, Print The Pounds and Madigan, and perhaps that’s the problem.

Neither need any introduction to Borrowdale punters. They have proved themselves time and again, but unfortunately I can’t recall whether they have small hooves and a low knee action…necessary attributes when the going gets hard, I am told. Of course this pair can handle the going being on top…they race in Zimbabwe….but, barring a welcome cloudburst, there is likely to be plenty of sting in the ground.

Print The Pounds carries top weight in the 1600m ZRP Fillies Charity Stakes and will be giving 8 kgs to the rest of the field – and they should be getting more. On paper it looks like a walk in the park for five-year-old Print The Pounds, a winner of 6 races including the 1600m Zimbabwe Guineas and the 2015 ZNA Charity Handicap where she beat Rock The Country.

At the last Borrowdale meeting Print The Pounds ran third in the 1800m ZNA Charity Handicap, her first outing since July when she finished down the field in the Republic Cup. Fanie Chambers rides on Sunday and the full-sister to Duffi’s Call is drawn 3 out of 9.

In addition to Print The Pounds, Bridget Stidolph will also saddle Genial, Ride Of Honour, Dictate and La Carmelita. This will be Genial’s third race at Borrowdale and first attempt at the mile. The Jay Peg mare is drawn 7 and Brendon McNaughton will be in the irons. On October 16 she ran with blinkers on and pacifiers off, and is down to wear the same headgear this time.

Ride Of Honour, by Horse Chestnut, won twice in Gauteng over 1200m and this will be her third start at Borrowdale. She was 2.60 lengths behind Porterhouse over 1100m at the last meeting. Morgan Nyamagwete rides and the filly is drawn 9.

And now the dark horses – Dictate and La Carmelita. Dictate is a four-year-old by Silvano (GER). She won over 1950m at Scottsville on June 22 and her last start was at Greyville on July 13. Drawn 1, Dictate will have Kevin Derere in the irons.

La Carmelita, also a four-year-old, is by Ideal World (USA). Has had five starts and left the maidens after winning at Greyville over 1400m in April. Her last start was on October 16 at Scottsville – so a very recent arrival. Drawn 5 and Hennie Greyling (plus 1 kg) rides.

Gokhan Terzi is taking on the Stidolph string with Sable Flyers winner, Invincible Swan, Carla The Rebel, Ladies First and Scarlett Ice.

Invincible Swan has more to do here and after the 1260m Sables Flyers win she pulled up with respiratory distress. However, the daughter of Century Stand (AUS) is going for a hat-trick here. Craig Zackey (plus 1.5 kgs) has the ride and Invincible Swan is drawn 2.

Carla The Rebel continues to fluff the start but will get it right one day. In the 1260m Sable Flyers, she lost half a length and finished two lengths behind Invincible Swan, who was receiving 8 kgs. Sunday’s runners, Ride of Honour and Genial were further back . At the weights the Rebel King mare can’t be completely discounted. She is drawn 6 and will be ridden by Chase Maujean (plus 1 kg).

Both Ladies First and Scarlett Ice return to racing after quite lengthy breaks but, if fit, could finish in the money.

Ladies First– is a four-year-old daughter of Silvano (GER) out of an Al Mufti (USA) mare. A winner of two races over 1600m and 1700m, so distance suited. Her last race was on May 22 when she finished 4.75 lengths behind Duffi’s Call at level weights in the 2000m Zimbabwe Oaks. Juan Paul van der Merwe rides and Ladies First is drawn 8.

Scarlett Ice – A five-year-old by Black Minnaloushe (USA) won her first two starts at Borrowdale over 1700m and 1800m, following up with two seconds to Maturin over 1600m. Finished second to Perfect Grace over 1800m in May and then second to Quick Glance over 1700m at the next meeting. She has not raced since June 19 when 1.85 lengths off Red Savage in a 1700m MR 70 Handicap when receiving 2 kgs. Drawn 4 Scarlett Ice will have Ryan Munger in the saddle.

This will be an interesting race but Pick 6 Punters in search of a banker or two will surely choose Print The Pounds. There may be a couple of other likely bankers in this card and ‘Pick Sixers’ will need them.

Have you looked at the first leg?

Five of the seven runners in the 1260m Maiden Plate have not raced previously. What are the powers that be thinking of?

Photograph: Scarlett Ice giving Andrew Fortune a hard time. Hope she gets up on the right side of the manger on Sunday.

Fielding only 16 Borrowdale Park runners between them, Penny Fisher and Kirk Swanson came up trumps, saddling four of Sunday’s seven winners.

The Fisher yard won the feature race, the 1800m ZNA Charity Handicap, with Lava Flow, and also sent out the second horse, Call Me Earl.  Print The Pounds, Newton Power and Eurakilon followed.

Kevin Barry, also from the Fisher stable, was an easy winner of the MR 70 Handicap,  franking his equally decisive victory at the previous meeting in a 1700m Maiden Plate.

Bred by the Spotted Pig Stud in Zimbabwe and by Horse Chestnut, Kevin Barry is one to follow.  Brendon McNaughton was in the irons.

Kirk Swanson’s runner, Haga  Haga, disappointed his supporters here, finishing third, behind Devil In Command (second).  At the 300m mark Haga Haga appeared out of it, but ran on on well in the closing stages.

The Swanson stable began on a high note, taking the first race, a 1200m Maiden Plate, with first-timer Tierce.

Keagan de Melo was on board, and also rode a second winner for this yard when Perfect Grace flew past Standpoint in the closing stages of the 1700m MR 70 Handicap. (De Melo was in the irons when Lava Flow won the feature race…thereby earning the afternoon’s riding honours.)

The second race, an 1100m MR 70 Handicap went to the Gokhan Terzi-trained Porterhouse, who beat Swanson’s runner, Thriller In Manila by half-a-length.  Bankers  Blues  and Tandava, both Terzi runners, finished third and fourth.

Hennie Greyling, riding for Terzi,  scored for the second time on Fashion World, winner of the last race, a 1200m MR 55 Handicap, with stable mate,  Eurozone,  a close second.

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Print The Pounds and Fanie Chambers…won the ZNA Charity Handicap in 2015

The Zimbabwe National Army will be out in force at Borrowdale Park on Saturday for the running of the 1800m ZNA Charity Handicap where I fancy Eurakilon’s chances – but have to warn you that the last 24 hours have been confusing – to say the least.

Four of the races folded at the Final Acceptance stage. I can imagine the frantic scrambling to re-open these races and well done to everyone concerned for managing to hold it all together.

I wasn’t feeling quite so charitable at 5 pm yesterday.Having spent hours studying weights and draws for the main race, and drawing tentative conclusions, I was disturbed (to put it mildly) to discover I had to more or less start again.

However, all’s well that ends well, and this is the final field:

APPROVAL RATING – Won the 2013 Zimbabwe Guineas over 1600m but the rest of his 11 wins have been over shorter trips. Last time out he won the 1000m ZRP Charity Borrowdale Sprint with Norbert Takawira up, carry 60 kgs, and Takawira rides again on Saturday.

By Miesque’s Approval (USA) out of an Al Mufti (USA) mare the seven-year-old gelding is a class act. However I’m not convinced this is the race for him but I have often been wrong before.

In 2014 he ran a few lengths behind Equina in the 2000m Tankard, conceding weight. He quickly followed up with a third to Equina in the 1800m OK Grand Challenge. He only concedes 0.5 kgs to Eurakilon on Saturday. With firm going it may depend on who handles that best.

In addition to Approval Rating Gokhan Goksel Terziwill also saddle Eurakilon, Newton Power and The Mutineer. Approval Rating carries 60 kgs and is drawn 5.

EURAKILON, a seven-year-old gelding by Classic Flag out of a Western Winter mare, has had 10 starts at Borrowdale. He won the 2000m Breeders Champion Cup (L) in March, beating Print The Pounds, receiving 4.5 kgs, by a length, and next time out won the 1600m Independence Trophy where Saturday’s runners Call Me Earl, Lucky Sam, Print The Pounds and Lava Flow finished behind him.

Terzi’s charge can never be left out of the mix. He contests all the big races and usually finishes in the money. Lance Pagel rides on Saturday and Eurakilon (59.5 kgs) is drawn 3.

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A Zimbabwe Racing Forum has been set up on the Africa Betting Clan site… zimracing

This is an opportunity to air views, talk about fields etc, and hopefully we will be in full swing within a few days.  Registration on the Africa Betting Clan site is simple.

The next Borrowdale Park meeting is on Saturday, October 8, and the Final Fields will be posted later in the day. The feature race is the ZNA Charity Handicap over 1800m and will bring out some of our big guns, for the first time this racing season.

Shepparton and JP van der Merwe

Gokhan Goksel Terzi and Penny Fisher Racing took all the training honours at Borrowdale Park on Sunday… Terzi getting the lion’s share with five winners. JP van der Merwe and Lance Pagel, riding for Terzi, had three and two winners respectively. Ryan Munger also rode two winners.

Three Tote favourites, Shepparton, Finlay and Kevin Barry, duly arrived and the Pick 6 was won. Tandava and Bankers Blues deadheated in the first leg which resulted in two separate Pick 6 Dividends….$171 394.80 with Tandava, and $56 986.30 with Bankers Blues. There is a $45 694.34 carryover.

The first race was won by Shepparton, the Tote favourite. Shepparton is by Fencing Master (GB) and first-timer Don’tfencemein (also by Fencing Master) finished second.

Tandava and Bankers Blues deadheated in the second race. The Tote favourite was Nimble Dancer, unplaced.

Finlay, coming back from a long rest, started favourite, and took the third race on the card with a flying finish.

Kevin Barry from the Fisher stable won the fourth. He was Tote favourite. His stable mate, King’s Wager, was well back as his saddle slipped forward badly soon after the start.

David’s Flower (Greyling), also trained by Penny Fisher, scored in the fifth race. This was a tight finish involving Wee Doch ‘n Dorris, Quick Glance and Ice Pack. Tote favourite Enough Said came fifth. Magnificent Mile was found to be lame after this race.

The fancied Carla The Rebel went down to stable mate Invincible Swan in the Sable Flyers. She was slow out of the gates, losing half a length, but well beaten by Invincible Swan. The winner was examined post race and found to have pulled her right front shoe, and to be suffering respiratory distress.

Rumbavu Park Stud bred the winner of the first race, and also bred Belle Epoque, winner of the last, from Romantic Balladeer, Haga Haga and Tail Wind. The Tote favourite, Princeton Tiger, was unplaced
.

Here we go, chasing the elusive Borrowdale Park Pick 6, and once again Sunday’s fields are competitive. Hold your fire, if possible, in the early stages. I fear you will need plenty of ammunition for the fourth and sixth legs in particular.

Racing starts at 13 15 with an 1100m Maiden Plate where Megagram and Fierce Prestige look the pick. Shepparton may be worth following and Apprentice Lyle Hewitson has his first ride in Harare on the unraced Coachella.

The first leg of the Pick 6 is the 1200m Merit Rated 75 Handicap where one could be reckless and bank Nimble Dancer after his close second to Approval Rating at the last meeting. Gotago should however give him a go, and the rest of the field looks dangerous. Weight counts.

Next up is the 1600m Graduation Plate where I like Red Savage and Catnip, while worrying about Avaricious and the lightly weighted Jinx Johnson. Racey J is a card scratching.

Chum and In The Oven come out in the third leg, a 1700m Maiden Plate. Both were involved in a tight finish over the distance at the last meeting but Argodaba, with claiming apprentice Marshall Bikausaru in the irons, beat them. (The finish of this race appears below courtesy of Zimbabwe Equine News. In The Oven is nearest the camera).

Bikausaru rides African Love Story for Penny Fisher on Sunday, and her two other runners, Kevin Barry with Ryan Munger up, and King’s Wager (Hennie Greyling) are worth watching.

Then we come to the Merit Rated 60 Handicap over 1800m where you must have the top weights, Quick Glance, Rawedge and Wee Doch ‘ n Dorris, plus the bottom weights, Enough Said and Valmont. It will be hard to leave out Arrowfield and David’s Flower…I have ignored Ice Pack, Star Dance, Magnificent Mile and Sky. Just watch one of them win!

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…where have all the fillies gone?

The Sable Flyers, main race at Borrowdale Park on Sunday, is a listed race for fillies and mares, benchmark MR 85 equalling 60 kgs, weights to be determined at the sole discretion of the Handicapper.

In 2015 this race, run over 1300m, was won by Pegwell Bay, followed home by Iron Lady, Gentle Brook, Tallie Two and Print The Pounds, and the eight runners had clocked up 32 wins between them. On Sunday the eight carded runners will compete over 1260m.  The field is made up of four and five-year-olds, whose score to date is a total of 12 wins, with Beretta the only maiden.

Carla The Rebel, a four-time winner with a Merit Rating of 67, will carry top weight of 60 kgs, and on previous form it is difficult to look past her. At the last meeting the daughter of Rebel King was fractious in the stalls and, as the start of the 1600m MR 74 Handicap won by Comanche Brave was effected, she dislodged Andrew Fortune. Undaunted Carla The Rebel took part in the race “on her own terms”, finishing in the first three, unofficially. Watch the race at here – Lance Pagel rides on Sunday. (Photograph courtesy Zimbabwe Equine News below)

In addition to Carla The Rebel Gokhan Terzi will also saddle Uptown Gal (Ryan Munger), drawn 8, and Invincible Swan (JP van der Merwe).

Uptown Gal, by Miesque’s Approval (USA) is a lightly raced four-year-old having only had two starts.  In February she finished fourth to Domboshava over 1000m and her last race was on March 20 when she won a 1200m Maiden Plate, receiving weight but well clear of Cool Start and Go Galaxy.

Invincible Swan, also a lightly raced four-year-old, by Century Stand (AUS), won her last start over 1100m on June 19, beating Rebel Soldier. First time out on May 22 she finished third behind Comanche Brave (7.25 lengths back) in a 1200m Maiden Plate.

Bridget Stidolph sends out the remainder of this field, namely Genial (*Lyle Hewitson)), Ride Of Honour (Sherman Brown), Relampago (Fanie Chambers), Beretta (Brendon McNaughton), and Domboshava (Morgan Nyamagwete).

Your guess will be as good as mine but the facts are….Genial, drawn 7, and by Jay Peg out of a Captain Al mare, won her first two starts in KZN but hasn’t shown much in her last eight outings.  Her one and only start at Borrowdale was on July 16 when she finished 14 lengths behind Dirty Champagne in a MR 74 Handicap.  Genial could be anything and I like her breeding.

Ride Of Honour, a two-time winning daughter of Horse Chestnut, has not raced at Borrowdale before. The four-year-old had 15 starts at Turffontein and the Vaal and was often thereabouts. Her last start was at the Vaal on January 7 in a Fillies and Mares MR 68 Handicap over 1200m where she finished 5.15 behind the winner La Manga.

Relampago, by Toreador (IRE) quit the maidens in her only start at Borrowdale on September 10, finishing ahead of Fierce Prestige and Nemba Beach, with Sunday’s runner, Beretta, further back. Brendon McNaughton won on Relampago but goes with Beretta on Sunday.  Is that significant?  Only time will tell but I have to admit I am reaching!

Weights have been allotted at the Handicapper’s discretion and it will be interesting to see how he fares with this one.  Relampago will receive 6 kgs from Carla The Rebel, while Beretta, Domboshava and Invincible Swan will be 8 kgs better off.

On paper Carla The Rebel looks a possible Pick 6 Banker….but it could be tricky.

The Sable Flyers is due off at 16.05.  First race on Sunday is at 13.15.

Pick 6 Punters Not So Lucky…  

Dividend R219 726.10 – Carry Over  R217 488.17

Every trainer with runners at Saturday’s Borrowdale Park race meeting saddled a winner.

The Stidolph yard scored twice -with Relampago in the first race, and Temple Run in the second.

Temple Run’s victory in the first leg surely put paid to many Pick 6’s but just when it seemed punters were in for a torrid time along came Zita (below).

The Penny Fisher trained Soar With Eagles (USA) gelding, bred in Zimbabwe, won the Merit Rated 65 Handicap over 1450m, starting price 3/1. Ryan Munger’s mount was followed across the line by Amas Amat (12/1), Bankers Blues (14/10) and Supa Wonder 7/1.

Bred by the Spotted Pig Syndicate, Zita is owned by Bruce McLauchlan, Matt Charlton, Ken Fallon, Alistair Fisher, Ken Fisher and Kevin O’Connor.

Zita with Ryan Munger up

THE CLASS ACT

Comanche Brave (12/10) and carrying 56.5 kgs, won the 1600m MR 74 Handicap, third leg of the Pick 6, by five lengths, in the time of 93.18 seconds. Noble Peer 33/10 ran second, followed by Super Good and Supa Challenge.

The Borrowdale Park Course record of 93.75 seconds was set by Earl Of Surrey (57 kgs) on  August 4, 2012. Solar Impulse (53.5) holds the Class Record, 94.32s,  set on September 8, 2013.

By Kahal (GB), Comanche Brave, a four-year-old, is trained by Amy Bronkhorst and JP van der Merwe had the ride. The gelding was bred by Summerhill Stud and is owned by Duncan Jones, Adrian Nydam and Steve Shutt.

Carla The Rebel who was fractious in the stalls, reared at the start of this race, dislodging Andrew Fortune and he was stood down for the remainder of the meeting.

Comanche Brave with Juan Paul van der Merwe in the irons

NEXT UP ARGODABA

All of In The Oven (13/10), Chum (33/10) and Bletchley Park (2/1) were prominent in the 1700m Maiden Plate but Argodaba (40/1) beat In The Oven by the narrowest of margins – 0.05 lengths. (Another blow for Pick Sixers.)

The five-year-old daughter of Argonaut, trained at one time by Corne Spies, is now owned and trained by Jannie Blignaut.  Claiming apprentice Marshal Bikausaru was aboard and the mare was bred by Hydro Stud cc.

Perseverance pays.

Apprentice Marshall Bikausaru rode Argodaba

FOLLOWED BY A KILLER PUNCH

 I knew Wee Doch ‘n Dorris would one day regain his previous form..and the Kildonan gelding came right in the fifth leg of the Pick 6, under a hard ride from Keagan de Melo, after a somewhat lackadaisical beginning.

Well done Swanson Racing and winning owners, The Dixie Chick Syndicate and Mark Wood.

Bred by Dr I.R. Heyns, the 40/1 shot swooped up to beat Valmont, Enough Said and stable mate Stirling Road in the 1700m MR 55 Handicap, carrying top weight. From 31 starts the six-year-old has now won 5 races and been placed 11 times.

Wee Doch ‘n Dorris …Keagan de Melo riding

APPROVAL RATING

Last seasons’s Champion Trainer, Gokhan Terzi, won the last leg with people pleaser Approval Rating.

The next Borrowdale Park race meeting is on Sunday, September 25, and features the Springvale House Sable Flyers (L).

Temple Run (below) aimed the first blow at many Borrowdale Pick 6 punters on Saturday when winning the first leg, a 1200m Merit Rated 50 Handicap.

The son of Toreador (IRE), starting at 8/1, finished ahead of Sky 10/1, Vidich 22/10 and Jinx Johnson 2/1. The six-year-old gelding is trained by Bridget Stidolph and was ridden by Fanie Chambers. He is owned by Messrs S.N. Buchan and N. Evans, R. Sherwood and M.K. Chant, and bred by The Alchemy.

The Stidolph yard also sent out the winner of the first race, a 1000m Maiden Plate, where Relampago (15/2), held off Fierce Prestige (15/10), Nemba Beach (13/2) and King/s Wager (14/1).

Relampago, also by Toreador(IRE), was bred by the Estate Mr G.J. Royden-Turner. This was the four-year-old filly’s first start in Zimbabwe and Brendon McNaughton was in the irons.She is owned by Messrs S.N. Buchan, N. Evans, Duncan Jones and S.W. Shutt.

Temple Run was ridden by Fanie Chambers.

Five fancied horse horses, Approval Rating, Nimble Dancer, Sheik’s Brashee, Newton Power and Road To Dubai, closely contested the 1000m AFZ Charity Sprint at Borrowdale Park on Saturday… but as Nimble Dancer put his nose in front top weight Approval Rating grew wings.

Only half a length separated the first five home. Neither Approval Rating nor Nimble Dancer were ridden by their carded jockeys as Andrew Fortune and Brendon McNaughton had been stood down. This resulted in some fine riding from Norbert Takawaira (Approval Rating) and Morgan Nyamagwete (Nimble Dancer) in what was certainly the most exciting finish of the afternoon.

Approval Rating  is trained by Gokhan Terzi and Norbert Takawira was in the irons.