A P Ikhaja, an impressive winner of a Maiden Juvenile Plate at Borrowdale Park on December 14, takes on her elders in the 1100m Merit Rated 65 Handicap at Borrowdale Park this Sunday.
The A P Answer filly, seen here with Apprentice Collen Storey up, will be ridden by Fanie Chambers. She is trained by Corne Spies who will send out eight of the 17 runners.
A P Ikhaja. with Apprentice Collen Storey aboard, on her way to the Borrowdale Park start
Gokhan Terzi seemed set for a sizzling afternoon at Borrowdale Park on Sunday when saddling the winners of the first two races – and then the wheels came off.
Main race of the day was the US$12 600 Independence Trophy over 1600m. Most dogs were barking for Terzi’s charge, Glorious Jet, but down at the start the Jet Master gelding dumped Apprentice Wesley Marwing, slipped his bridle and bolted back to the 2800m mark.
Although Glorious Jet then made his own way back he managed to find the gap in the railings and went skipping through the trees before being caught. Continue reading
The Amy Bronkhorst trained Supa Dupa got up to beat Nugget Effect by the narrowest of margins in the 1600m Graduation Plate at Borrowdale Park on Sunday – with only 0.05 lengths separating the two horses at the line.
The four-year-old AP Arrow filly is now a three-time winner and Karl Zechner was in the irons. She was bred by Mr G.H. Rowles and is owned by John Koumides. Apple Tart and Princess Kate filled the remaining places
Trainer Gokhan Terzi won the second race on Sunday, a 1300m MR 55 Handicap, with the Announce gelding, Fighting Force. He won the previous race with the two-year-old Argonaut colt, Demagogue, who was having his first outing. Apprentice Wesley Marwing was aboard both winners.
Fighting Force (below) is owned by St John Gray and was bred by Mr R.G. Pienaar.
Photograph: Gavin MacLeod
Another happy group at Borrowdale Park on Sunday after Changa won the last race of the day, a 1000m Maiden Plate, The Mogok filly was bred by Nadia Barnwell and is owned by John Koumides and Nadia.
Changa was ridden by Francois Herholdt and trained by Kirk Swanson who saddled another winner earlier in the afternoon.
Photographs: Gavin MacLeod
INDEPENDENCE TROPHY FOR LUCKY SAM
Lucky Sam, trained by Bridget Stidolph and ridden by Randall Simons came back to his best form when winning the Independence Trophy at Borrowdale Park on Sunday. He is owned by Rob Davenport and Sam Kajese.
This race is run over 1600m and the Imperial Stride (GB) gelding, bred by Milkwood Stud, was followed home by Killa Man, Menacing and Equina. The fancied Glorious Jet dislodged his rider at the start, bolted, and was subsequently withdrawn by the vet.
Nadia Barnwell presented the Trophy to the winning connections.
Lucky Sam was ridden by Randall Simons and trained by Bridget Stidolph
Super Trouper, winner of the 1600m Mercedes-Benz Ipi Tombe Stakes on March 8, takes on former rivals in the $12 600 Independence Trophy at Borrowdale Park on Sunday. The Independence Trophy will also be run over 1600m but, mainly due to the conditions of this race, Gokhan Terzi’s charge now has more to do.
Of the 9 runners all but Killa Man ran in the Ipi Tombe and, apart from Gentle Brook and Equina, they now meet Super Trouper on better terms.
On March 8 Glorious Jet finished two lengths behind Super Trouper (his stablemate) when receiving 1.5 kgs, and this time he will be in receipt of 4kgs. Super Trouper will be ridden by Apprentice Mathew Thackeray, claiming 2.5kgs, while Glorious Jet retains the services of Apprentice Wesley Marwing, claiming 1.5kgs. The son of Jet Master was Tote Favourite last time out and I would not be at all surprised to see him turn the tables here.
In addition to Killa Man, Bridget Stidolph will saddle Menacing, Lucky Sam and Alula Borealis. Menacing, 1.25 lengths back at level weight in the Ipi Tombe, will now get 2.5 kgs from Super Trouper. Lucky Sam, 1.5 kgs better off, finished 3.50 lengths behind the Ipi Tombe winner at level weights – and this was his first race as a four-year-old. Although Alula Borealis was among the also rans when he last met Super Trouper, he is 3.5 kgs to the good this time and on Ipi Tombe day I was expecting him to do better.
The Go Deputy gelding, Menacing, has the credentials to feature.
This will be Killa Man’s fourth outing since coming back from a tendon injury. He is showing signs of a return to his best form and on February 22 finished a gutsy third to Heron Boy in a 1900m MR 70 Handicap, giving away 7 kgs. Dynasty’s son will be ridden by Fanie Chambers. He is a 4-time winner from 1600m – 2400m, will carry 54 kgs, is drawn 1 – and this could be interesting. Continue reading
Eversolucky, winner of the Zimbabwe Breeders Fillies Mile, the Jacaranda Handicap and the Tote Free Handicap has been retired from racing.
Her owner, Gary Jolliffe, broke this sad news a few days after the three-year-old Ashaawes filly finished fourth in the Bloodstock South Africa 2000 on March 22.
He said Eversolucky “has injured a tendon and would require one year off, minimum, with no guarantee of racing again. She has done us proud with 11 cheques from 11 starts, including black type and listed wins”.
The filly will be offered to breeders and anyone interested should contact Mr Jolliffe. He reports that she is sound at walk and trot but sensitive to touch and flection. “Vets assure us that this will settle soon and in no way affect a breeding career.”
There have been better days at Borrowdale Park. Racing on Sunday was a punters’ nightmare with most Tote favourites falling by the wayside, while followers of form should have rather gone fishing.
However, that said, I would have been sorry to miss the main race, the US$ 8 100 Bloodstock South Africa 2000 (Gr3), where Merhaba with Apprentice Wesley Marwing in the irons, and trained by Gokhan Terzi, was an impressive winner over the 2000m trip. His stable companion, Eversolucky, recent winner of the 1800m TBA Silver Slipper, took the early lead with Merhaba and Mica Point keeping in close touch. Merhaba soon headed the filly and piloted the field well into the home straight where Mica Point surged ahead. Just when it seemed all over bar the shouting Merhaba found more, fought back, and crossed the line 1.25 lengths clear of the Continue reading
A reminder that it’s good to be at Borrowdale Park, Harare, on a Sunday afternoon. Graham Nicholas Spike snapped the finish of the fourth race on Sunday when Say So Tiger narrowly beat Maturin and Second Light. Photograph: Graham Nicholas Spike
RACING RESULTS BORROWDALE PARK
SUNDAY 22 MARCH 2015 (refer to link at the top of the page)
What does one do when the Classic races are upon one and the racing centre concerned provides limited opportunities for the current crop of three-year-olds to show their paces over ground?
Inevitably one tries to become an instant expert on breeding to win, despite the fact that many, far better qualified, have tried and failed to do so for more than a hundred years. Had they succeeded we would all be clamouring to enter horses in either the Kentucky or Epsom Derby – and sorting the chaff from the grain in the Bloodstock South Africa 2000 (Gr3) to be run at Borrowdale Park on Sunday would be a piece of cake.
Except for Suave Singer and Latin Queen the rest of Sunday’s acceptors faced off in the 1600m Zimbabwe Guineas, where Print The Pounds triumphed. Subsequently Continue reading
Racing at Borrowdale Park in Harare - Zimbabwe 