In form Brianna, and Obscure, Lily Blue’s sister, take on some rising stars in the Axia-sponsored 1600m Flashing Numbers Champion Fillies Stakes at Borrowdale Park on Saturday, but the two mares may not have the upper hand.

The four-year-old fillies, Jacky Sparrow, Walking Thru Time, and Zavannahgold, should make their elders run for the money. Brianna is set to carry 60 kgs and the rest of the field 52 and 50 – but Wes Marwing, on Obscure, is expected to weigh 53.5.

At the last Borrowdale meeting Obscure had a prep run up the straight, her previous start having been on the 10^th of March.

Jacky Sparrow’s last race was in June, which is the only reason why she is not getting my whole-hearted support.  

Some welcome heavy rain on Wednesday must also be considered. A change in the going could play a part in several of the interesting races on Saturday’s card. The unbeaten three-year-old Buster Barnes steps out in the What A Dandy MR 76 Divided Handicap where he takes on the likes of Regulate, Prince Of Kimberly and Qunetra over 1700m.

However, let’s not be distracted from the main race.  The field is listed below so please begin thinking. The first race on Saturday is off at 12:45.

1 BRIANNA 60.0 – M Nyamagwete – Gavin MacLeod

6yo m by Legislate – 7 wins from 1000-1260m including recent Sable Flyers (LR).

 2 SUN BIRD CARD SCRATCHING

3 JACKY SPARROW 52.0 – J R Syster – Debra Swanson

4yo f by Jackson – won 5 of her 7 starts including the 2023 Guineas Trial and 2023 Zimbabwe Guineas (Gr3). Distance suited. Rested 196 days.

4 OBSCURE 52.0 – Wes Marwing +1.5 – Bridget Stidolph

6yo m by Black Minnalouche (USA) – won 6 races from 1450 – 2200m. Prep run on 2nd December over 1260m after lengthy layoff.

5 WALKING THRU TIME 50.0 – M Thackeray 1.5 – Amy Parham

4yo f by Jay Peg. Winner of three 1600m races and a length off Jacky Sparrow in Fillies Classic.

6     ZAVANNAHGOLD 50.0 –   J Penny – Bridget Stidolph

4yo f by Var (USA) – Won 3 from 1260m – 1800m including the 2023 Silver Slipper (L) – and a close second to Jacky Sparrow in 1600m Fillies Classic.

Photographs: Zimbabwe Equine News

This Saturday at Borrowdale Park is John Koumides’ day, when his many friends will recall the good times, and celebrate the life of one of Zimbabwe racing’s most loyal supporters.

John Koumides passed away earlier this year and will be sadly missed. Successful in business, Mr Koumides owned and loved some great horses, but took the rough with the smooth, was always kind, unassuming, and approachable – and he could party!

Over the years ‘JK’ was involved with several local stables, and happy memories will be shared by people who knew him far better than I. There were dozens of photographs to choose from but this one seems to have captured a moment when everyone was feeling particularly good.

The six races on Saturday’s card are named after a few of John’s famous winners, and the feature race, the Flashing Numbers Champion Fillies Stakes, has been sponsored by the Axia Corporation Ltd.

What a wonderful mare. Dindingwe, at Borrowdale where she should be, thrilled fans when she won the 2700m Pinnacle Plate (90) on Saturday.

The former champion three-year-old, by Futura, has not previously won beyond 2000m – I never thought she could – and it was the way she won.

Jeffery Syster settled her midfield before moving up to join the leaders Coffeeberry and Zazu. Dindingwe headed them, before leading the field into the home straight, and after that, there was no catching her. She finished three lengths clear of stable companion Tigers Eagle, and then came Zazu and Coffeeberry.

The six-year-old, trained by Debra Swanson, is owned by Mr C M & Mrs E B Shepherd & Mr C G & Mrs K M Bonthrone, C J Danckwerts, G M Littleford, S H Murray, P C Rugg, P D Gorringe, S P Gorringe, V Patel & D K Ward, and was bred by Ndoro Stud. Dindingwe has won 10 races

Congratulations!

Photographs: Zimbabwe Equine News.

Jet Mirage, by Visionaire (USA) triumphed in the 1200m Gold Cup Sprint (Gr3) at Borrowdale Park on Saturday – and Brianna and Jubilee made him work for it.

It was a great race, and photographs by Jenny Stock and Gavin Macleod tell the story.

Trained by Debra Swanson and with Jeffery Syster up, the Lammarskraal Stud-bred six-year-old is owned by John (CJ) Smith, Grant Littleford, Spencer Murray, and Paul Rugg.  Jet Mirage has now won 6 races and the winning margin in this one was 0.75, 0.75, and 1.75 lengths. Top weight Brianna came second, then Jubilee and Abayyaan.

Saturday was good for Borrowdale Park racing, and particularly so for the Swanson/Syster duo who won four of the six races on the card.

The live stream shown on Formgrids (U-Tube) was incredibly improved, and one could hear the commentary, properly, from the third race onwards.  

Congratulations to the winning connections – and well done to everyone concerned.

Photographs by Jenny Stock and Gavin Macleod.

Owners become rather tense when their runner is involved in a close finish – unless they own both contenders.

Borrowdale Park stalwart, Craig Danckwerts, was in that happy place on Saturday when Tigers Eagle (Swanson/Syster) and Action Zone (Mason/De Gouveia) clashed in the 2000m MR 84 Handicap. Tigers Eagle won by half-a-length, Zazu was third, then Qunetra, and Coffeeberry.

Tigers Eagle, a five-year-old mare by Flying The Flag (IRE) has now won six races and she was bred by Wilgerbosdrift & Mauritzfontein.

Congratulations to the winning connections.

Photograph: Zimbabwe Equine News

Top-weighted Holy Land won his 10th race at Borrowdale Park on Saturday, when beating Wantage in the 1600m MR 98 Handicap.

Diego de Gouveia was in the irons and the 8-year-old Ideal World (USA) gelding is trained by Amy Parham. The proud owners are Messrs G Goksel, G Carter,D T Machingaidze, M W Smith, and Mesdames P J Lewis, C M de Jong and S Ziehl. Holy Land was bred by Wilgerbosdrift & Mauritzfontein.

Congratulations everyone.

Photographs by Zimbabwe Equine News. TOP – Holy Land (de Gouveia) followed by Wantage (Penny), Sun Bird (Syster) and Only Him (Marwing).

Holy Land, with Diego de Gouveia in the irons, will be aiming for back-to-back wins when he races in the 1600m Pinnacle Plate 98 at Borrowdale Park tomorrow (Saturday).

Amy Parham’s charge won the 1600m Sunshine Cup on 14 October carrying 60 kgs. Wantage and Only Him also raced then – Wantage (60 kgs) was 2.15 lengths back, and Only Him (60 kgs) was 3.40 lengths off the winner. Saturday’s runners, Citrusdal and SunBird, were not in the Sunshine Cup.

This time Only Him (59 kgs) and Wantage (58 kgs) take on Holy Land on better terms, but the Sunshine Cup winner has to give both Citrusdal and Sun Bird 5.5 kgs. They have won over the distance and should be racing fit. 

This will be interesting, and the Pinnacle Plate is due off at 15:40.  The first race on Saturday’s card is at 12:45.

Please follow this link to download the online card – https://mcusercontent.com/2a1c7dfa1eb4e4b185607f5a6/files/8808aabe-04fe-fa10-4a7e-377b93b20a45/18_NOVEMBER_2023.pdf

Photograph by Zimbabwe Equine News. Holy Land and Wantage (nearest camera) in the 2023 Ipi Tombe Stakes won by Holy Land. Both carried 60 kgs and Wantage went down by 0.10 lengths.

There are murmurs – and not for the first time – about moving back to the Ipi Tombe Room better known as the O’s & T’s.

Let’s make this happen because regular Borrowdale Park fans need a place of their own, with easy access to everything that matters.  The actual Mashonaland Owners & Trainers Association has fallen away so it would be up to volunteers to get things up and running again.

I am sure there would be volunteers. There are lots of golden oldies still around and if the parents are missing some of the sons and daughters are not.  I know who most of you are.  

Without a doubt the actual venue needs work – and it will take time to locate some of ‘’our’” possessions that have moved elsewhere – but to get started all we need is something to sit on – a well-stocked, well-managed bar, and adequate snacks. Fancy lunches and glamorous events – as in the good old days – can come later.

Let us begin thinking out of the box – and I suggest…

1. The Board of Stewards has never been involved in running the O’s & T’s and let’s keep it that way.  All we need is for them to accept that the venue is rent-free as in the past.  It is surely the stewards’ duty to provide racing enthusiasts with basic facilities.

• Forget about annual subscriptions and keep the entrance fee as low as possible – $5 at the most. Appreciation boxes could collect more than doormen when patrons are enjoying themselves.

• Wear what you like as long as it’s decent, because during “racing hours” this is not a four-ale bar or a brothel.

That will do for a start – and now you can tell me I have finally lost it,  and then  say what needs to happen.

First and foremost, this is about bringing people back to the course. A supportive on-course bookmaker is essential, and hopefully, some genius will soon come up with a solution to that.

By the way, there is racing at Borrowdale on Saturday …first race off at 12:45.                                                          

Borrowdale dogs were barking before Buster Barnes ran in the 1200m Novice Plate on Sunday, and they were right.

The Centaur Syndicate’s three-year-old Érupt (USA) gelding won well, as expected, and it seems Zimbabwe’s oldest syndicate has another good one. Craig Danckwerts is the Centaur nominee.

Debra Swanson’s charge won a 1000m Maiden Plate in July, on his racing debut, and resting 113 days did him no harm.  Jeffery Syster rode on Sunday, and Buster Barnes was bred by Millstream Farm.

Congratulations everyone.

Photograph: Zimbabwe Equine News.

Jet Mirage, winner of the Borrowdale Sprint on Sunday. Congratulations to the winning connections.

Photographs by Zimbabwe Equine News.

Jet Mirage won the 1200m Borrowdale Sprint this afternoon – capping a sizzling afternoon for trainer Debra Swanson and Jeffrey Syster.

The son of Visionaire (USA) has now won 5 races and he is owned by “CJ” Smith, Grant Littleford, Spencer Murray and Paul Rugg. The five-year-old gelding was bred by Lammerskraal Stud. Jubilee came second, followed by Brianna and Emerald Floe.

Congratulations to the winning connections!

Earlier Debra had saddled three other winners. Well done Buster Barnes (Syster), Zazu (Marwing), and Star Aglow (Syster).

Photograph by Zimbabwe Equine News.