For a moment on Sunday Mashonaland Turf Club Chairman, Brian Black, seemed speechless, when declared Zimbabwe Racing’s Personality Of The Year. Brian is approaching the end of a three-year term in an honorary position few people envy.
Personality Of The Year Brian Black
Photograph:Gavin Macleod
Well-known Zimbabwe owner and breeder, Peter Moor, collected three awards on Sunday for being the Leading Breeder of Two-Year-Olds on AEI; Leading Breeder and Leading Owner. Jackie Cocksedge presented the TBA Awards.
Peter Moor – Leading Breeder of Two-Year-Olds and Leading Breeder.
Locally based sire Soar With Eagles (USA) is Zimbabwe’s Champion Sire for 2014/15. It went down to the wire but the son of Kingmambo held off the challenge from Silvano (GER). He stands at Rumbavu Stud.
Soar With Eagles (USA) Champion Sire
CORNE SPIES BOWS OUT WITH STYLE
Zimbabwe’s 2014/15 Racing Awards were presented in the MOTA Bar after Sunday’s race meeting. Despite the absence of the traditional Awards Dinner – times are tough countrywide – our racing stalwarts came to the party, proving they can deal with both the formal and informal with equal gusto.
MOTA Chairman Kirk Swanson set the ball rolling with an upbeat welcoming address, thanking everyone who should be thanked and concluding with Hip Hip Hoorays for the horses, which went down well at that late stage of the afternoon. Master Of Ceremonies Thomas Mason was also in fine form.
Corne Spies, attending his last meeting at Borrowdale, won the Champion Trainer Award, and said all the right things about the camaraderie that exists within Zimbabwe’s racing, while paying tribute to Pierre Venter who ran the Harare yard. Unfortunately neither Karl Zechner nor Wesley Marwing were on hand to collect the awards for Champion Jockey and Champion Apprentice, respectively. Wesley Marwing had already left to catch a ‘plane and Karl Zechner was not riding at Borrowdale on Sunday.
Quinton Riddle stood in for St John Gray because Yer-Maan won several awards, including Horse Of The Year. He said when he watched replays prior to riding Yer-Maan in the Castle Tankard and the OK Grand Challenge he knew “this was my sort of horse who came from behind and mowed them down at the finish” – and how right he was. Quinton also gave Gokhan Terzi full marks for ‘keeping Yer-Maan ticking over while following instructions from owner/trainer St John Gray’. Continue reading
It’s back to basics at Borrowdale Park on Sunday with all the main feature races behind us. However the memories linger and add some spice to this eight-race card.
Equina, Super Trouper, Thriller In Manila, Two Gun Kid and Gentle Brook are among the 10 runners in the 1400m Breeders Sprint and my guess is that whoever beats Super Trouper wins.
The seven-year-old West Man (USA) gelding won this race last year, with Sunday’s runner Alula Borealis placed fourth, 2.55 lengths back. Once I would have insisted 1400m was Super Trouper’s best game but his close second to Equina in the 1900m Republic Cup denies that. However, back up the straight and meeting his closest rivals, Thriller In Manilla and Alula Borealis at level weights, the race should be in the bag.
Equina and Gentle Brook, the two mares here, have their 2.5 kgs weight advantage plus, in Gentle’s Brooke’s case, an apprentice aboard claiming 4kgs. Weight counts but both horses probably prefer more ground. Two Gun Kid, with Apprentice Diego da Gouveia up, will only carry 56 kgs but seems well held by others, and I would include Quick Glance and Prince Fireball in that category when they are lumbered with 60 kgs.
In addition to Super Trouper Gokhan Terzi saddles the five-year-old Classic Flag gelding, Eurakilon. His five wins were over 1600m and 1800m and this will be his first start at Borrowdale.
Last, but maybe significant, is the three-year-old Gharir (IRE) filly, Picalilly, who was rested after a disappointing performance in the 1800m Silver Slipper on March 8. She ran second to Print The Pounds in both the 1600m Fillies Classic and the Zimbabwe Guineas. Prior to that Picalilly was a demon up the straight, earning the title of Champion Two-Year-Old during the 2013/14 season. Set to carry 56.5 kgs, and with Quinton Riddle in the irons, this filly could surprise but takes on big guns now.
I suspect this may be the very last time we see a race run over 1400m at Borrowdale Park. In the latest racing programme the Zimbabwe Challenge, traditionally run over 1400m, is now shown at 1450m which involves racing around the home turn, and rumour has it there are other plans for part of our Borrowdale straight.
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Super Trouper (Brendon McNaughton) and Thriller In Manila (Kevin Derere) seen here before the start of the 1900m Republic Cup on July 12. They finished second and fourth behind the winner, Equina.
The trio meet again in the 1400m Breeders Sprint at Borrowdale Park this Sunday so don’t miss out on what is going to be a very interesting race. It is due off at 13.20.
Photograph: Zimbabwe Equine News
Wat’s Up Sarge, a winner of a 1300m Novice Plate at the July 12 race meeting, will try to make it two in a row when she takes part in the 1200m MR 65 Handicap at Borrowdale Park on Sunday. JP van der Merwe will be riding for Gokhan Terzi again.
The four-year-old filly, by Sarge out of an Eliodor mare, was bred by Greystone Stud and has won two races.
Photograph Gavin Macleod
The Fort Beluga filly, Al Cobalena, was an easy winner of the 1700m Maiden Plate run at Borrowdale on July 12, beating Thunder Fury by 3.50 lengths. Owned by Nadia Farina, Liana van Blerk and John Koumides, the three-year-old was bred by Nadia and Liana.
Al Cobalena with Quinton Riddle up.
Photograph: Gavin Macleod
The five-year-old Iron Lady, by Var (USA), was back to her best when holding off challenges from Arrowfield and Say So Tiger in the 1600m MR 69 Handicap at Borrowdale Park on July 12.
Iron Lady followed by Arrowfield and Say So Tiger.
One thing one can say about Borrowdale Park’s big race bonanzas is that it is seldom all over until the fat lady sings. At the finish of Sunday’s $40 000 Gr3 Republic Cup only 1.80 lengths separated the first five horses, with Silvano’s daughter Equina getting up to snatch victory from Super Trouper in the last stride.
Fifty metres out, Super Trouper and Thriller In Manila began to dominate the proceedings, while Yer-Maan seemed about to lose out completely and even Rushmore River looked to have a chance to still come through – but it all changed when Karl Zechner and Equina pounced.
The Silvano mare, Equina, trained by Amy Bronkhorst, owned by Peter Moor and bred by Cheveley Stud, won both the $50 000 Castle Tankard and $40 000 Ok Grand Challenge in 2014 but missed out on the 1900m Republic Cup when finishing second to Lucky Sam.
On Sunday, carrying 53kgs, she made amends.
Congratulations to all the winning connections.
Amy, also saddled the locally bred Thriller In Manila, who put up a gallant fight but finished fourth, 1.55 lengths back.
And what about Yer-Maan?
His stable companion Norgay brought the field into the final 600m, all of Gentle Brook, Rock The Country, and Thriller In Manila were handy, with Super Trouper beginning to unwind up the inside, and I have to admit to losing track of Yer-Maan. However, despite hefting 61 kgs and giving away dollops of weight all round, the six-year-old Jam Alley (AUS) gelding got up there when it counted, in third place only 1.50 lengths off the winner.
He failed to complete the hoped for “big race treble” but with victories in both the Castle Tankard and OK Grand Challenge he certainly set the turf alight and made plenty of friends during his sojourn at Borrowdale Park.
Rushmore River started favourite but in the final countdown ran sixth, 4.80 lengths off the pace and just behind Rock The Country. Everyone was pleased to welcome Assistant Trainer Gabby Somo to Borrowdale Park and perhaps he and Rushmore River will be back, to put the record straight.
The next Borrowdale race meeting is on July 26, featuring the TBA Champagne Stakes. This is followed by the seasonal break from July 27 to September 5.
Champion race mare Equina, winner of the 2014 Castle Tankard and 2014 OK Grand Challenge, collected the one she missed out on – the $40 000 Republic Cup – at Borrowdale Park on Sunday.
The Silvano mare is trained by Amy Bronkhorst, owned by Peter Moor and was ridden by Karl Zechner. In a nail-biting finish Super Trouper, Yer-Maan and her stable companion, Thriller In Manila, followed the Cheveley Stud-bred Equina home.
Photograph: Gavin Macleod
Sunday sees the running of the last of Borrowdale Park’s three “big ones”, the US$ 40 000 Republic Cup (GR3) over 1900m.
St John Gray’s Yer-Maan has triumphed in both the US$50 000 Castle Tankard over 2000m, and the US$ 40 000 OK Grand Challenge over 1800m. The six-year-old gelding, a son of Jam Alley (AUS), will achieve what no horse has done before if he collects first prize this time.
Zimbabwe’s Champion Jockey for the 2014/15 season, Quinton Riddle, takes the ride again and Yer-Maan is running off a Merit Rating of 106. Benchmark for the Republic Cup is 102, equalling 60 kgs. Yer-Maan will carry the stipulated top weight of 61 kgs, the remaining weights being at the handicapper’s discretion. This means most of those who met their formidable rival in the OK, i.e. Thriller In Manila (second, a length back), Rock The Country, Menacing, Norgay and Madigan, are now worse off by 0.5 kgs. Equina (fourth in the OK and 2.50 lengths behind) is 1,5 kgs better off with Yer-Maan; Two Gun Kid will receive an extra 1 kg, while Super Trouper is marginally better off by 0.5 kgs.
Yer-Maan and Quinton Riddle team up again.
The inclusion of another South African raider, Rushmore River, trained by Joe Somo, has given Zimbabwe’s punters something to think about. Owned by the Joostes, who also own Menacing, this is a horse who has raced with some of the best and not been disgraced. By Windrush (USA) the four-year-old gelding has won four races from 1600m to 1800m, but has yet to go further.
Rushmore River at Borrowdale Park .
On January 14 at Turffontein in the 1800m Sea Cottage Stakes (L) Rushmore River ran third, four lengths off Louis The King at level weights. Five months later, with some good racing in between, he finished fifth to Legal Eagle in the 1800m Jubilee Handicap (GR3) (6.25 lengths back) with Judicial, Kalua Castle and Heavy Metal ahead of him. This was Rushmore River’s last start and, assuming he has travelled well, he has to be considered a main player. Continue reading
Racing at Borrowdale Park in Harare - Zimbabwe 