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

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 →

Sunday, March 8, was a memorable day for Borrowdale Park trainer Gokhan Terzi.  He saddled the winners of both feature races, the US$12 000 Mercedes-Benz Ipi Tombe Stakes (L) and the US$6 400 GWM Steed 6 TBA Silver Slipper.  During the afternoon he also sent out another winner.

The 1800m Silver Slipper, second leg of Zimbabwe’s Triple Tiara, turned into a procession with the Ashaawes filly, Eversolucky, staying three lengths in front of a fast finishing  Tallie Two.  Guineas winner Print The Pounds and 15/1 shot Suave Singer followed.  Picalilly was Tote favourite but only managed to beat the front runner, Second Light, home.

The Ashaawes filly, Eversolucky, won comfortably.

After the race the grey filly appeared distressed but Assistant Trainer Penny Fisher reports that subsequent checks revealed nothing amiss. The three-year-old will now have a six weeks break from racing.

Eversolucky, third in the Fillies Classic and fourth in the Zimbabwe Guineas, was comfortable throughout the 1800m trip.  Ridden by Apprentice Wesley Marwing, she is owned and bred by Gary Joliffe.

The Ipi Tombe Stakes over 1600m provided the exciting finish that was missing in the Silver Slipper.  Glorious Jet, with Marwing up, led the field into the home straight while Thriller In Manila, having his first race beyond 1400m, stayed in close contention. When Quinton Riddle set the “Thriller” alight he surged to the front and at the 100m mark looked the winner. Continue reading →

Delta Special, by Sobieski (USA), and bred by Sarahdane Stud, won the last race, a 1300m MR 50 Handicap, beating stablemate Lake Nakura, Maturin and Jean’s Dancer to the line.

The winner was ridden by Francois Herholdt and is owned by Ursula and Paul Gorringe, John Koumides and Alan and Murray Smith. Kirk Swanson’s charge has been showing signs of a return to form but Lake Nakuru and Jean’s Dancer started at 35/1 and 55/1 respectively – so, another fat Quartet.

The six-year-old Windrush gelding, Breezing Through, having his fourth start at Borrowdale on Sunday, held on to the honours in the 1400m MR 70 Handicap, despite a fast finishing Just Knock. Both these horses started at 35/1, Let’s Fly High (third) was quoted at 28/1 and Demitasse (fourth) was 15/2. Super Trifecta and Quartet payouts for a lucky few.

This was Breezing Through’s fourth win. Owned by Sandy Irvine and Peter Moor, trained by Amy Bronkhorst, and ridden by Denicious Smith, the gelding was bred by Midlands Equine Enterprises.

Each year Zimbabwe’s racing fraternity honours Borrowdale Park’s most illustrious graduate with the running of the Ipi Tombe Stakes (L). Worth US$ 12 000, the race will be run over 1600m on March 8, and the 2014 event is sponsored by Zimoco.

The great racing filly, Ipi Tombe, was born in 1998 at Peter J. Moor’s Golden Acres Farm in Marondera, Zimbabwe.  She was sold to the Sunmark Racing Syndicate for Z$50 000 (not expensive at that time) on the TBA Premier National Yearling Sales 2000.

Ipi Tombe by Manshood (GB) is bred in the purple.   Manshood’s sire, Mr Prospector, is one of the most influential sires worldwide and his dam, Indian Skimmer, was the champion filly in Europe. Ipi Tombe’s dam, Carnet De Danse (GB) was sired by Dance In Time(CAN), by Northern Dancer. Dance In Time was Canada’s Two-Year-Old Champion Race Horse.

While racing at Borrowdale Park, Harare, Ipi Tombe was trained by Noelene Peech, won four of her five starts and was always ridden by Dewi Williams. Noelene recalls Ipi Tombe as being “more loving, considerate, generous, humble and joyous than any human could understand”.  She also referred to a comment made later on by another Zimbabwe-based trainer, Lisa Harris..”Ipi got where she has got, because she had been where she has been”… Continue reading →

In addition to saddling the second and third placed horses in the Zimbabwe Guineas, Alyson Wright’s Harare satellite yard also sent out the winners of two races on Sunday’s Borrowdale Park Card. The A P Arrow filly, Arrowfield (Denicious Smith) narrowly beat Captain Grant (Diego de Gouveia) in the 1800m MR 50 Handicap. Heron Boy (Hennie Greyling) was involved in an even closer finish with Butler Yeats (Karl Zechner) in a MR 70 Handicap over 1900m.

The four-year-old Soar With Eagles gelding, Heron Boy ( number 11 ), is owned and was bred by Black Diamond Thoroughbreds and this was his third win.

Photograph: Gavin McLeod