First two horses home in the US$ 50 000 Republic Cup run at Borrowdale Park on Saturday were saddled by Bridget Stidolph, while Eurakilon and Whiteline Fever filled the other places.

Morgen Nyamagwete picked up a last minute ride on the winner, Mathematician, when carded jockey Keagan de Melo was kicked on the knee on the way to the start. Locally based Nyamagwete made the most of his lucky break timing his ride to perfection.

Few would dispute that the main highlights of the Borrowdale Park racing calendar are the $50 Castle Tankard (Gr 1), the $40 000 OK Grand Challenge (Gr 2) and the Republic Cup (Gr 3), now with an increased stake of $50 000.

The 2000m Castle Tankard took place in May and was won by Rock The Country in a tight finish with Mathematician and Windigo, while Eurakilon, giving weight to those in front, finished fourth, 3,50 lengths back.

In June the talented three-year-old filly, Duffi’s Call, added the OK Grand Challenge to her Triple Tiara laurels, with Windigo, Whiteline Fever and Mathematician and Fah Fee following. The winner was receiving weight from the vanquished and in both major events we were reminded weight counts
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First three past the post in the Tankard carried 53 kgs and 52 kgs, while in the OK only Whiteline Fever carried 58.5 kgs for a 1.50 lengths beating.

On Saturday in the 1900m Republic Cup Sean Tarry’s hopeful will meet Duffi’s Call 2.5 kgs to the good. The seven-year-old gelding has the right credentials. He arrived in Harare days before the OK and now, used to his surroundings, may be even more of a force to be reckoned with.

The inclusion of former Kranje star, Flax, has skewed these big race weights and once again Flax is set to heft the top weight. He carried 60 kgs in the Tankard, 62 kgs in the OK, and on Saturday is on 61 kgs. To date this has proved to be a step too far.

This time he will be giving Whiteline Fever 3,5 kgs; Approval Rating and Eurakilon 5,5 kgs; Rock The Country 6 kgs, Mathematician 6.5 kgs, and Duffi’s Call, Super Trouper and Windigo 7.5 kgs. Let’s not get too technical but working on 1 kg for one length Flax will need winged hooves here – and he has drawn 16. The nine-year-old was not disgraced in either the Tankard or the OK, finishing around three to four lengths off the pace but it remains a big ask.

With the exception of Thriller In Manila, Approval Rating and Perfect Grace all the Republic Cup acceptors ran in at least one of the first two events, and it is hard to look beyond those who have already featured.

However other factors have to be taken into account. Lucky Sam carries 52.5 kgs, and Print The Pounds, Madigan, Lava Flow, Perfect Grace, Thriller In Manila and Merhaba are all on 52 kgs. Fanie Chambers on Print The Pounds may not quite make that weight but you can’t write any off on these terms even if some are in under sufferance. Madigan showed his field a clean pair of heels at the last race meeting, carrying 60.5 kgs.

I don’t doubt that this year’s Republic Cup will be both exciting and interesting….but. The MTC no longer bothers to send me the TAB sheet on Tuesday. At 11.15 am on Thursday I was unable to buy a race card at the course because they were “Not ready”, and I have neither the time nor inclination to scrabble around trying to trace race reference numbers.

On top of that finding a winner in a big race is always fraught with peril because anything can happen, and usually does.

I began going to the Durban “July” gallops with my grandfather when I was four so have been suspicious from an early age, having learnt these things at his knee. However I do remember he backed a horse called Gay Jane and she duly won….his thinking being that any well mannered colt or gelding would naturally let the filly win.

So, what about Duffi’s Call, or Print The Pounds? Equina, after all, won this race in 2015.

Photograph: Gavin Macleod. Equina won the 2015 Republic Cup, with Super Trouper, Yer-Maan and Thriller In Manila in the minor places.

The two-year-old colt, Haga Haga, won first time out at Borrowdale Park on Sunday.

Trained by Kirk Swanson and with Francois Herholdt aboard, the son of Mullins Bay (GB) was bred by  Summerhill Stud. He is owned by Drs Ben Mugabe and Ronald Mhizha.

Minor places in the 1100m Maiden Juvenile Plate were filled by  three other first-timers, Shepparton, Karatu and Aloft.  Expect to see more of them in future.

Later in the afternoon the Swanson yard had a second winner, Madigan, in the 1800m MR 80 Handicap.

Photograph: Gavin Macleod.

Dirty Champagne, with Lance Pagel up, completed a hat-trick when triumphing in the 1260m Merit Rated 70 Handicap at Borrowdale Park..

By Var (USA), the five-year-old was followed across the line by Major Vaughan, Nimble Dancer and David’s Flower. He is owned by Messrs T.J. Shawe, G.G. Terzi and G.V. Woodruff.

Dirty Champagne with Lance Pagel up.

The Stidolph/Chambers combination was on top form at Borrowdale Park on Sunday. The duo scored with 20-1 shot Al Salaam in the fifth and the fancied Super Good in the seventh- both horses owned by the Sunmark Racing Three.

Al Salaam, a three year-old gelding, clocked his second win in the 1700m MR 50 Handicap, beating Avaricious by a length. He was bred by Shadwell Stud.

Former Triple Crown winner Madigan gave the 1800m MR 80 field a galloping lesson, sneaking up along the inside rail and going on to win by four lengths,carrying top weight of 60,5 kgs.

His stablemate Supa Challenge, followed by Lava Flow and Red Savage, brought up the rear.

I must admit I haven’t been racing at Borrowdale Park lately, which could account for a somewhat jaundiced view of this Sunday’s card.

Watching the goings on via Tellytrack’s limited and disjointed coverage of racing at Borrowdale leaves one brooding about shock results, in and out running, and the impossible task of trying to find form when runners are constantly moving up and down in class, coupled with trying any old distance.

At least, on course, one is surrounded by fairly cheerful people who may shout and scream a bit but end up taking it on the chin, and getting on with the party.

With the $50 000 Republic Cup in the offing, the sixth race, an 1800m Merit Rated 80 Handicap, should be quite interesting.

Madigan, Lava Flow, Perfect Grace and Thriller In Manila are all Republic Cup nominees, albeit at the bottom end of the scale, while Got a Hold On Me, Supa Challenge, Eversolucky and Red Savage each have something to recommend them.

I am, of course, prepared to be surprised by the end result…..but can spend next week searching for justification, hindsight being marvellous.

 Eversolucky with Wes Marwing up in her glory days. Brendon McNaughton rides on Sunday.

Madigan and Got A Hold On Me, both seven-year olds, are ten-time winners according to the TAB sheet for Sunday’s meeting, although the last mentioned is only credited with five wins on Formgrids. Be that as it may they can, in this field, be considered class acts, and distance suited.. They met in an 1800m Merit Rated 90 Handicap on January 17 which Print The Pounds won, with Madigan (58.5 kgs) 3.05 lengths back, and Got A Hold On Me (54.5 kgs) 9.05 lengths off the leader.

Madigan ran in the recent OK Grand Challenge, without distinction, and at the last meeting Got A Hold On Me finished 7.25 lengths off Gotago over 1200m.

At one time Thriller In Manila played a significant role, with the best, around the turn, but of late has reverted to shorter trips, where he shone during 2013 and 2014. However at the June 19 meeting the Thriller took on Sunday’s runners Supa Challenge and Red Savage in a 1700m Merit Rated 70 Handicap, which the latter won. That day Supa Challenge (60kgs) was 1.35 lengths back, and Thriller In Manila (54.5kgs) a length behind him. Given the turnaround in weights Red Savage will have more to do this time.

Perfect Grace has raced three times at Borrowdale. On May 7 he won an 1800 MR 70 Handicap, where Red Savage was well beaten at level weights. Subsequently the Antonius Pius (USA) gelding was second to Noble Peer over 1600m, following up with a very much below par run over 2000m, when Star Dance won. However it was reported that the saddle slipped forward on Perfect Grace at approximately the 1200m mark, and from the 1000m mark, this horse ran freely and Jockey van Rensburg was unable to assist his mount thereafter – so we can ignore that.

Lava Flow, another recent import, raced in the Tankard and the OK, where he ran 2.85 lengths off the winner, Duffi’s Call, at level weights. This isn’t one of the major features so a repeat of that could stand Lava Flow in good stead here.

Eversolucky, a four-year-old Ashaawes (USA) filly, who featured prominently as a three-year-old, must also be considered. She has had four runs since returning to racing after a year’s layoff due to injury, and her last start on June 19 was encouraging. Carrying 60 kgs Eversolucky ran in the 2000m MR 70 Handicap won by Star Dance. She was 5.15 lengths behind, conceding 7.5 kgs. On Sunday Eversolucky carries 53 kgs, a good galloping weight, and if back to her best could be dangerous.

Those are the facts and I am sure you are none the wiser. There is no way I can find the winner but at least I won’t be enraged by the result…this time. A case can be made where necessary.

The first race on Sunday is due off at 12 noon and, weather permitting, maybe I will make it.

Half of those nominated for the 1900m Republic Cup to be run at Borrowdale Park on July 16, showed their paces in both the 2000m Castle Tankard and the 1800m OK Grand Challenge.

The stake for the 2016 Republic Cup has been raised from US$ 40 000 to US$ 50 000, which puts this race on a par with the Castle Tankard – an exciting development for owners and trainers.

Thanks to Andrew Philip we now have a photograph of the Champion Juvenile Stakes (Gr3) run over 1000m at Borrowdale Park on Sunday.

The Amy Bronkhorst trained Wylde Style (Van Rensburg), an easy winner, is followed by stable companion Jinx Johnson (*Murray), and Determination (Fortune).

Amy Bronkhorst saddled the first two past the post in the 1000m Champion Juvenile Stakes (Gr3) at Borrowdale Park on Sunday.

Marco van Rensburg was aboard the winner, Wylde Style, and Apprentice Callan Murray on Jinx Johnson. Both fillies are owned
and bred by Peter Moor.

Some of the members of the Sunmark Syndicate sharing in the post OK Grand Challenge excitement.  Zimbabwe Triple Tiara winner, Duffi’s Call, is a full sister to Print The Pounds and was bred by Clifton Stud

Photograph: Rosie Dorward

That moment trainer Bridget Stidolph and jockey Brendon McNaughton will never forget – the AP Answer filly, Duffi’s Call, coming back to the Parade Ring after her triumph in the US$40 000 OK Grand Challenge at Borrowdale Park on Saturday June 4.

Photograph: Rosie Dorward