The 1600m Guineas Trial, scheduled main race at Borrowdale Park on January 17, will inevitably set some of us snarling – again.

The beef being, how can this be a Guineas Trial when the race conditions are so different? The Zimbabwe Guineas for all three-year-olds takes place at the end of February and will be run over 1600m at set weights (C & G 58kgs, F 55kgs) with No Apprentice Allowance.

Apprentice Allowances can be claimed in the Guineas Trial (also restricted to three-year-olds) but this is a Merit Rated Handicap, top weight 61 kgs.

At the time of writing 9 horses are nominated for the Guineas Trial. Bridget Stidolph has entered Super Good (MR 83), Bullion Bay (MR 69), Detente (MR 69), Rocky Road (MR 69) and Al Salaam (MR 56). Gokhan Terzi’s nominations are Tandava (MR 72) and Betula Uber (MR 60), while Amy Bronkhorst has gone with Slick (MR 63) and Kirk Swanson with Cool Solution (MR 66). Continue reading →

Confabulate (Herholdt),Jean’s Dancer (Danielson), It’s By Jingo (*Munger) Wee Doch’n Dorris (Takawira) amd Bankers Blues (Van der Merwe) heading for the finish of the 1700 MR 70 Handicap at Borrowdale on Sunday.

In the next stride Confabulate held on to win but long time leader It’s By Jingo found more, reversing his position with Jean’s Dancer, to finish second.

Confabulate is owned by Anna Mason, Gray Neely, Alan Smith, Ron Mhizha, Merlyn Chant and John Koumides, and trained by Kirk Swanson. The Oracy (NZ) gelding was bred by Klawervlei Stud and has now won two races.

It’s By Jingo (shocking pink and lime green) found more in the last stride and came second to Confabulate.

Photograph: Zimbabwe Equine News.

Francois Herholdt was undoubtedly the man of the moment at Borrowdale Park on Sunday when he rode four winners for the Swanson yard.

He is seen here on Windigo, an easy winner of the 1800m Novice Plate. Well done Francie.

Baumgartner winning decisively

The fancied Black Minnaloushe (USA) colt, Baumgartner, lived up to expectations at Borrowdale on Sunday, winning the 1700m Maiden Plate. Finlay (Fortune) finished 1.25 lengths behind and he was followed by Magnificent Mile and Expensive.

The three-year-old winner is trained by Kirk Swanson, owned by John Koumides, and ridden by Francois Herholdt. He was bred by the Haras Del Carmo Close Corporation.

The Gokhan Terzi trained The Mutineer showed his field a clean pair of heels when winning the 1200m Merit Rated 70 Handicap by 2.50 lengths. Juan Paul van der Merwe was in the irons.

The six-year-old gelding was followed across the line by Porterhouse, Lost Island and Gotago and has now won three races. Bred by Summerhill Stud, the son of Mullins Bay (GB) is owned by Mrs A. Marwing.

Gokhan Terzi saddled two winners at Borrowdale Park on Sunday – surprising quite a few punters in the process.

First up was The Mutineer in the 1200m Merit Rated 70 Handicap, starting price 20/1, beating stable mate Porterhouse, Lost Island and Gotago. Juan Paul van der Merwe had the ride and the Mullins Bay (GB) gelding is owned by Mrs A. Marwing, and was bred by Summerhill Stud.

Bridget Stidolph saddled the first winner at Borrowdale Park in 2016 when Bullion Bay won the 1100m Maiden Plate, finishing clear of Copper Sky, Ladies First and Nemba Beach.

This was the Bankable (IRE) gelding’s first race in Zimbabwe. Brendon McNaughton was in the saddle, and Bullion Bay is owned by Scott Buchan, Neil Evans and Merlyn Chant. Colin Bird is the successful breeder.

Hot favourite Windigo won the 1800m Novice Plate by two lengths, beating Slick, Al Cobalena and Sky. The Windrush gelding is owned by Colin Bird and he has now won both his starts at Borrowdale Park.

Assistant Trainer Thomas Mason and Willard Mujuru from the Swanson yard led the four-year-old gelding in. He was bred by The Alchemy and Francois Herholdt had the winning ride.

Road To Dubai’s triumph in the Hachiman Sprint at Borrowdale Park on Sunday was the cherry on the top for the Swanson yard. The stable sent out four winners during the afternoon.

Last time out Road To Dubai won the HRIB Gold Cup and victory in the Hachiman Sprint, albeit by a whisker, made him winner of two of the four legs in the Sprinters Series. He held on to beat a fast finishing Pacifica by .05 lengths.

ABOVE: Approval Rating (nearest the camera) and Pegwell Bay involved in a tight finish over 1000m on September 6. Photograph by Gavin Macleod.

The  Hachiman Sprint to be run over 1100m at Borrowdale Park is the fourth and final leg of the Sprinters Series.

This began on September 6 with the 1000m AFZ Borrowdale Sprint, won by Approval Rating, and was followed by the 1200m HRIB Gold Cup where Road To Dubai scored.

On November 28 Windigo won a 1600m Maiden Plate in breathtaking style, beating Promising by 9 lengths. The Windrush (USA) gelding runs at Borrowdale on Sunday in the 1800m Novice Plate and a repeat of his previous effort will make him hard to oppose.

All of Muhannad, Captain Grant, Rawedge and Al Cobalena could make a race of it on their day, but I see the two three-year-old fillies, Sky and Betula Uber as the main dangers.