Racing comes bouncing back to Borrowdale Park on Saturday and the feature is the 1200m Jacaranda Free Handicap. The course is looking good – and it rained – so it is all systems go.

Seven runners have stood their ground for the main event.  Bridget Stidolph saddles top weight Willfull Path; Kirk Swanson sends out Dindingwe and True Beauty, while Gokhan Terzi is represented by Mind Master, Mazikeen and VainLikeThat.  

And… trainer Amy Bronkhorst picks up the cudgels again after quite a lengthy absence, with a newcomer to Borrowdale, Powder Puff.

At one time the 1200m Jacaranda Free and the 1600m Tote Free Handicaps were considered pointers towards the three-year-old Classics.  Being handicaps this wasn’t always the case.  Last year Love To Bluff won the Jacaranda Free, and Wantage was second.  As for the Classics, the class of 2019 had Lily Blue to contend with and she contested neither the Jacaranda Free nor the Tote Free.

However, Wantage went on to win the Tote Free, and the Zimbabwe 2000, and ran well behind Lily Blue when she was collecting her laurels.

This year the 2020 Borrowdale three-year-olds have had COVID interruptions to contend with and are coming back on Saturday after the annual racing break.

Two fillies, Willfull Path and Dindingwe (winner of the 2020 Champion Juvenile Stakes), are probably the main contenders, having dealt with most of the other runners before, but they have never met up with each other. This will be interesting and Dindingwe will have weight on her side. Both have their regular riders, Morgan Nyamagwete and Apprentice Rodgers Satombo, in the irons.

Powder Puff, ex the Azzie yard, is by Judpot out of a Fort Wood mare and her last outing was over 1450m at Turffontein. She has raced 8 times from 1000m to 1600m and finished just over 8 lengths behind rising star Anything Goes.  Amy’s charge remains the dark horse here.

Presumably, we are still racing behind closed doors with the same conditions which applied at the last Borrowdale Park race meeting on August 28.  In any event it will be good to be back in action.  

Photographs by Zimbabwe Equine News

Prepare for some anxious moments around 4pm this afternoon (Saturday) when Lily Blue races in the 1600m MR 95 Handicap (F&M) at Turffontein.

Formerly trained at Borrowdale Park by Bridget Stidolph, as a three-year-old Lily Blue had no equal. The daughter of Black Minnaloushe (USA) is now in Paul Matchett’s yard in Gauteng, and this is her first outing Down South.Paul is enjoying a purple patch at present, but this is a new ballgame for Lily Blue. Her enthusiastic owners, The Gin’ll FixIt Syndicate, and Zimbabwe racing fans, will be on tenterhooks. Muzi Yeni is riding,

Go well Lily Blue. Enjoy the race and come back safely.

Click on the link below for a free Turffontein racecard – courtesy of Sporting Post. https://www.sportingpost.co.za/sporting-post-racecards/

( LILY BLUE was not disgraced. Came fourth and her race not entirely trouble-free.)

A while ago Stewart Ramsay, writing in the Sporting Post Mailbag, suggested betting was too complicated for novices, and he is right about that.

Much has been written about attracting newcomers to racing and Mr Ramsay says:
“To overcome horseracing’s barriers to point of entry one needs a concept that provides anyone and everyone the opportunity to participate in horseracing, without having an in-depth knowledge of form studying and betting.
“There is such a concept.”

Cellphones have become one of the most popular means of communication – his plan can be studied at https://www.sportingpost.co.za/2020/09/raising-horseracing-profile/?fbclid=IwAR2QgHrrG0S7TTM0B_k38i4uWNEt2xGCHX0h2O4EEJTlXp7Qz_1mJGJNisg – but for Borrowdale Park perhaps the MTC could make it even more simple, initially.

At every race meeting, designate one race for ‘lucky cellphones’, and to enter one would simply have to send the MTC an sms with name and number.  Names with ‘phone numbers would go into a draw, and winners of the draw would each have a horse running for them. Results of the draw to be announced on social media during the early evening preceding a race meeting.

In due course, the race would be run and the ‘owner’ of the winning horse would receive whatever the MTC decides on (iZWL of course, and in cash-strapped Zimbabwe that wouldn’t have to be much to start attracting new people to racing).

I know it’s easy to dream up schemes for other people to operate.  When and if the MTC react to this one, I have more up my sleeve because we really need to drum up local interest in racing.

ONLY 14 DAYS UNTIL WE RACE AT BORROWDALE PARK

It has been about 11 days since we checked on the state of the course at Borrowdale Park and, thank goodness, the grass is coming on nicely.

There has been a little hiccup – removing some tree roots that were encroaching on the straight – but that has been sorted.   

A start will soon be made on painting the railings, which will be a long and tedious job, but keep up the good work MTC. Only 14 days until the October 17 race meeting.

When is the rain dance?

The Borrowdale Park maintenance crew report that the “growth is good”, and have taken pics all around the racetrack…which is good news as there are only about three weeks to go before we resume racing.

At this time, each year, I tend to become slightly hysterical – will we ever race again? However, I am sure it will be alright on the night.  The growth is certainly a lot better than my lawn!

Thanks to the MTC for the information.

This is a summary of the course preparation at Borrowdale Park for the new season.

After the last race meeting the course was rolled with spikes. This loosens up the soil and allows the fertiliser to penetrate the hard surface.

The MTC acquired 2.5 MT of AN Fertiliser to spread on the track, followed by watering to allow the fertiliser to be absorbed into the grass and the soil, The reason for this is we would be spreading the mulch (cut grass) over the track to provide cover and nutrients for the new shoots coming through. The watering process went on for 3 days after the fertiliser was laid to give enough time for it to take effect.

Once the fertilisation and watering process had been completed the cutting/”scarification” process commenced and will be completed by Saturday September 12, if all goes well with the equipment.

 You can see that the mower is set at its very lowest to cut all the existing grass and thresh the roots to allow for new growth.

The picture above shows that the cut grass is left in lines by the tractor and this will be spread by rakes – See below to get an even spread.

The picture above is after the mulch has been spread across the cut.

The timing of this year’s course prep will hopefully stand us in good stead as we approach the rainy season and the natural time of growth for the grass. By the time the 18^th of October comes around the course should be more than ready for the first race meeting.

As you well know the outside 15 metres of the course has not been used for a long time and that part of the course has become extremely hard, not much different to a dirt road. The MTC has hired a rotovator to try and revitalise this part of the course. See the pictures below

The above will not affect the current part of the track which is in use.

Thanks to the Mashonaland Turf Club for providing this information and congratulations to everyone involved – Merlyn Chant, Gyles Dorward, Charles Mubariki, Scott Buchan – and last but by no means least the MTC course maintenance team. Keep up the good work.

As most of you know racing at Borrowdale Park will not resume until October and the annual scarification (that awful word) of the course began on August 31.

I thought I had a reliable spy who would provide me with an essay on this process – not photographs and scrappy notes sent via WhatsApp.  Fortunately, some of you probably know more about course maintenance than I do, and will be able to sort out the photographs (if in the wrong order), and the notes.

First of all the course was fertilised and watered, and “stripping” began several days later. Apparently, the watering etc goes first “to get the nutrients into the soil, and then the cuttings and mulch go on top waiting for growth to start.”

I think the pics are supposed to be self-explanatory as the only other info received so far was “All this will be swept across to make a nice covering – and then we water and the fertiliser is already in the soil.”

The photographs were taken nearly a week ago so we can assume everything is now much further forward and I await an update – anxiously.

Of course, I could go and have a look myself – but that would be far too scary.

WE ARE RACING TODAY

The first race at Borrowdale Park is due off at 11 35 today, Friday 28 August.

Follow this link to view and download the card:
https://mcusercontent.com/2a1c7dfa1eb4e4b185607f5a6/files/0d66c26b-3695-4621-bc8a-e2c024bc8d24/MTC_Race_card_28_August_2020.pdf

Follow this link to see what the Borrowdale Tipsters say:
https://zimracing.com/tips-for-borrowdale-park/

Card changes will appear on https://zimracing.com/borrowdale-card-changes/.

You can watch the Sandsport Livestream on https://zimracing.com/borrowdale-park-videos/ –  It will also be on Clocking The Gallop on U-Tube.

All these links are to pages on this site and you can get there with the navigation menu on this page.

Make the most of today as Borrowdale Park will be closed for the next 6 or 7 weeks for course maintenance.

Lily Blue, who won Zimbabwe’s 2020 Triple Tiara and two legs of the Triple Crown left the Stidolph yard this morning and is on her way to South Africa.

The daughter of Black Minnaloushe (USA) will join Paul Matchett’s stable and all Zimbabwe’s racing fans are hoping she will do us proud.

Go well Lily Blue.

Eight fillies and mares have accepted to run in the 1260m Sable Flyers (LR) at Borrowdale Park on Friday and, having learnt the hard way that finding a winner in this one is tricky, don’t expect any worthwhile predictions.

In my view, this 1260m event should be won by an obvious sprinter but In The Mood, by Bold Silvano and an 11-time winner who has won 8 races from 1600m to 1800m, proved me wrong in 2018 and 2019. She goes for a Sable Flyers hat-trick here. The five-year-old mare will carry 56.5 kgs after Apprentice Rodgers Satombo has claimed 4 kgs.

In addition to In The Mood the Kirk Swanson stable will saddle the three-year-old Var (USA) filly Varnica (Takawira 56 kgs), and a winner of two races over 1200m, as well as Dunas Douradas, second to In The Mood last year, and another who does well up to 1800m.
This Byword (GB) mare has claiming Apprentice Walter Shumba in the irons and should weigh in at 50 kgs.

Vee Racing sends out White Winter, Moxie and Bam Bam Pebbles – quite a formidable trio – although White Winter is the obvious sprinter having won 6 races from 1100m to 1260m. By Warm White Night, this five-year-old carries 61 kgs and Nikki Sibanda is riding.

Dare I say that Moxie and Bam Bam Pebbles, just possibly, might prefer further?

Then Bridget Stidolph has thrown a spanner in the works with a Borrowdale Park first-timer, Targaryen Queen, a Jackson four-year-old with Apprentice Munashe Josi up. She has won two races over a mile and 1800m. Her last start was at the Vaal on 25 June.

Bridget has also entered Razna who has run twice at Borrowdale but won three in Gauteng from 1000 to 1200m. With Morgan Nyamagwete up Razna will carry 59.5kgs.

It is worth noting that this Gimmethegreenlight (Aus) four-year-old ran fourth to Golden Lion over 1200m at Borrowdale and was sandwiched between Varnica and White Winter. I am not going to talk about turnaround in weights, If any. If I had a race card to hand things might be easier.

This race is due off at 15.05 and could result in a worthwhile quartet – banking In The Mood and White Winter? Whatever you decide to do, do not listen to me.

Photographs by Zimbabwe Equine News. If the jockey has no mask the pics were taken iast year – and I can prove this.

We race at Borrowdale Park on Friday and the 9-race card includes the 1260m Sable Flyers, a Listed race for fillies and mares, and the 1450m Breeders Sprint.

All the runners in the Breeders Sprint, except for what A Dandy, will carry 60 kgs and Vee Racing (the Terzi satellite yard) has an extremely strong hand with Tandava, Yarraman and Fareeq. Bridget Stidolph enters the fray with Twilight Trip and the Swanson team fields What A Dandy.

TANDAVA, is drawn 3 and will have champion jockey Norbert Takawira in the irons. By Century Stand (AUS) this 8-year-old is extremely versatile with 13 wins in Gauteng and Borrowdale from 1000m to 1900m. He won this race on July 27, 2019, beating Twilight Trip by 6.55 at level weights. His last outing was on August 16 this year over 1000m, when beaten by Christofle (receiving 3.5 kgs) by .75 lengths. Twilight Trip was further back.

YARRAMAN, a five-year-old gelding by Await The Dawn (USA), has the number 1 draw and Brendon McNaughton aboard. He too raced in Gauteng before coming to Borrowdale and has 7 wins to his credit, from 1600m – 1900m. Difficult to find form over Friday’s distance but on March 10, 2019, Yarraman (receiving 2kgs) was two lengths clear of What a Dandy over 1400m.

FAREEQ by Nadeem (AUS) is drawn 2 and Nikki Sibanda rides. The 8-year-old gelding had two good wins at Turffontein over 1600m, plus two at Borrowdale over 1800m and 1260m. Quite interesting in Friday’s context are his performances in a 1260m MR 88 Handicap in February when he beat stablemate Silver Coin, and in July, over the same trip, when five lengths off Tandava at level weights. Fareeq’s last outing was on August 16 over 1600m when 4.25 lengths off stable companion, Armstrong, who was receiving 2.5 kgs.

TWILIGHT TRIP, drawn 4, is a -seven-year-old by Trippi (USA) and he will be piloted by Morgan Nyamagwete. He won three races in the Cape over 1600m, and two at Borrowdale over 1200m (the 2018 HRIB Gold Cup) and 1260m, when in February 2019 he beat Coachella by 3 lengths, receiving 9 kgs. His more recent form is not so spectacular but who knows. Twilight Trip’s last outing on August 16, when he was behind Christofle and Tandava over 1000m, came after a lengthy layoff.

WHAT A DANDY, drawn 5, has *Rodgers Satombo (claiming 4kgs) in the hot seat. This six-year-old gelding by Just As Well (USA) has won 8 races from 1000m to 1800m but has only tried the 1450m trip once, in March 2019, in a MR 68 Handicap. That race was won by Kilowatt Kid, Yarraman was second, and What A Dandy, giving Yarraman 2 kgs, was 2 lengths behind him. On Friday What A Dandy will have weight on his side and being one of my favourites I certainly would not ignore him here.

However, I am not feeling adventurous so I expect Tandava will win. The Breeders Sprint is due off at 15 40 on Friday, and the first race is at 11 35.

Photographs by Zimbabwe Equine News

The first race at Borrowdale Park is due off at 11 40 today.

Follow this link to see what the Borrowdale Tipsters say:

https://zimracing.com/tips-for-borrowdale-park/

Card changes appear on https://zimracing.com/borrowdale-card-changes/.

You can watch the Sandsport Livestream here on https://zimracing.com/borrowdale-park-videos/

If you are watching from Zimbabwe the link may go down at some stage so look out for the new link if you suspect this has happened. Links will also be posted by SandSport LIVE and on Racing At Borrowdale Park In Zimbabwe and on Zimbabwe Owners & Trainers (on Facebook).

Enjoy your day!