Call the Wind goes for her fifth consecutive win in the Zimbabwe Guineas (GR3) at Borrowdale Park tomorrow (Sunday 6 March 2022).
The first race is off at 12 15 and the Guineas will be run at 15 40.
For those who cannot be on course, the Borrowdale Livestream will be on ClockingTheGallop on UTube. Final Fields, Tips, Card Changes etc will be posted on this site.
Regulate and Manvir, both winners of their last start, take on four nifty fillies in the 1600m Zimbabwe Guineas (Gr3), the first leg of the Zimbabwe Triple Crown, at Borrowdale Park on Sunday.
Call The Wind, trained by Vanessa Birketoft, is probably the toughest nut the two geldings have to crack as the Twice Over (GB) filly has won all her four starts, including the 1600m Fillies Classic on February 6, when she beat Sunday’s runners Lady Sanza and Keen Spirit easily.
Then there is the small but gutsy Cutback from Thomas Mason’s yard, winner of her last two starts including the 1600m Guineas Trial on January 23. Cutback and Call The Wind have only met once and that was over 1100m in June. Call The Wind won comfortably but Cutback has come into her own over more ground – draw a line through her run in the Tote Free when the saddle slipped badly.
Both Keen Spirit and Lady Sanza have won once over shorter trips. They finished well behind Call The Wind in the Fillies Classic and on paper will have to improve to score here. Keen Spirit and Manvir are trained by Debra Swanson, and Lady Sanza, from whom much has been expected after a scintillating debut, is from Gokhan Terzi’s stable.
Regulate and Manvir’s chances are difficult to assess as neither have previously raced around the turn, and when they have met up the straight Regulate has retained the upper hand.
In fact, Manvir was beaten by 5.25 lengths at level weights when Regulate won over 1100m in yielding going on February 6. At the last race meeting on February 20 Manvir won a 1000m Maiden Plate in good going.
That said, we can only wonder whether this pair will light up over a mile. I still think Call The Wind will be hard to beat while hoping Cutback can make the four-time winner work hard for the money.
1 Drawn 5 REGULATE 58.0 (MR60) T Gould – Bridget Stidolph – (Ato – Dictate by Silvano (GER))
2 Drawn 4 MANVIR 58.0 (MR57) N Takawira – Debra Swanson – (Red Ray – Europe To Africa (AUS) by Rock Of Gibraltar (IRE))
3 Drawn 6 CALL THE WIND 55.5 (MR77) C Habib – Vanessa Birketoft – (Twice Over (GB) – Silvan Wind by Silvano (GER))
4 Drawn 3 CUTBACK 55.5 (MR67) C Orffer – Thomas Mason – (Twice Over (GB) – Suedette by Dynasty)
After his Ipi Tombe Stakes win on Sunday 20 February 2022, Finchatton gained 4 and now stands on 99, and What A Dandy (third) dropped to 96 from 97. The rest of the field remained the same.
Bruce’s Spirit -3 (MR 46); Chetan – 2 (MR 45); Aneksi – 2 (MR 63); Cool Solution -2 (MR 61); Viscountess Vivien – 2 (MR 60); Seattle Frost – 4 (MR 48); Days Gone By -2 (MR 55); Tulip Way – 1 (MR 74); What A Dandy -1 (MR 96).
Photograph Zimbabwe Equine News: Tradition, with Jarryd Penny aboard, won the 1200m MR 70 Handicap and gained 5 MR points. He is trained by Bridget Stidolph who saddled 3 winners at Borrowdale on Sunday.
The five-year-old Var (USA) mare Varnica clocked up her eighth victory in the 1200m Pinnacle Plate (85) at Borrowdale Park on Sunday.
Apprentice Walter Shumba was in the irons and Varnica is trained by Debra Swanson who also saddled the winner – Manvir (Takawira) – of the 1000m Maiden Plate.
Varnica is owned by Messrs PD Gorringe, SP Gorringe, V Patel, DK Ward and G Carter.
Jarryd Penny was riding high at Borrowdale on Sunday – piloting three winners for the Stidolph yard in quick succession.
First up was Tradition in the 1200m MR 70 Handicap, then Emerald Floe who won the 1200m Middle Stakes, and finally Obscure in the 2000m Classified Stakes.
Well done Jarryd and everyone else concerned.
Photograph Zimbabwe Equine News: Emerald Floe with owner Rosie Dorward.
The 10-year-old Right Approach (GB) gelding, Finchatton, won the Ipi Tombe Stakes (L) at Borrowdale Park this afternoon. In a thrilling finish Holy Land, What A Dandy and Captain Of Tortuga chased him home.
Gengis Goksel owns the winner as well as having shares in the second horse across the line. Finchatton is trained by Gokhan Terzi, was bred by Wilgerbosdrift, and he has now won nine races. Raymond Danielson was in the irons today.
All things being equal the 1600m Ipi Tombe Stakes (L) to be run at Borrowdale Park on Sunday would be an exciting race – but they are not equal – which means super exciting in this case.
The four-year-old Futura filly, Dindingwe, is going for a hat-trick having won the 2000m Pioneers & Heroes Tankard on December 19, and the 1600m Pinnacle Plate 100 on January 23. She trounced Sunday’s runners Wantage, Finchatton and What A Dandy in the Tankard and sceptics said “Dindigwe went to the front and they were expecting her to come back to them and she didn’t. It won’t happen again”.
Then came the Pinnacle Plate where Dindingwe (57kgs) beat Holy Land (60 kgs) by a length, and Wantage (58 kgs) by two lengths. Wantage, with claiming apprentice Walter Shumba riding, will carry 56 kgs to Dindingwe’s 57.5 kgs on Sunday. Except for Bugatti Blue, who will have Apprentice Munashe Josi in the irons, all the other runners are set to carry 60 kgs and, make no mistake, they all have the credentials to win this on their day.
On paper, Dindingwe will have to dig deep to get the better of Wantage and Holy Land this time, and Captain of Tortuga will be having his third outing at Borrowdale Park. He broke the course record over 1200m in top company on November 6, but was 4.75 lengths off the winner, Coachella, in the Swift’ s Gold Cup, also 1200m.
By Captain Al and out of a Jet Master mare, Captain of Tortuga has won over 1600m at Turfffontein, so this will be interesting.
The going was heavy at the last Borrowdale meeting but there hasn’t been much rain since then. However, who knows what will have happened by Sunday. The weather seems unpredictable this year.
The 2022 Ipi Tombe runners are listed below. Of course, I would love to see the baby in this race, Dindingwe, win again – but I don’t think we can count on it.
1 Draw 7 CAPTAIN OF TORTUGA 60.0 (MR98) Penny – Bridget Stidolph – Captain Al – Ebony Flyer by Jet Master – 5 wins 1200m – 1600m
2 Draw 8 WHAT A DANDY 60.0 (MR97) Satombo – Debra Swanson – Just As Well (USA) – Leba (IRE) by King’s Best (USA) – 12 wins 1000m – 1800m
3 Draw 5 HOLY LAND 60.0 (MR96) Matsunyane – Vanessa Birketoft – Ideal World (USA) – Lalibela by Silvano (GER) – 7 wins 1450 – 1800m
4 Draw 1 FINCHATTON 60.0 (MR95) Danielson – Gokhan Terzi – Right Approach (GB) – Rose Lipped Maiden by Fort Wood (USA) – 8 wins 1400m- 1800m
Wantage won the 1600m Ipi Tombe Stakes last year, and Yarraman was the victor in 2020. Both have been nominated to run in the 2022 Ipi Tombe on February 20. Will they stand their ground?
Racing at Borrowdale Park in Harare - Zimbabwe 