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).
The MTC have issued the following statement and the postponed race meeting will take place on Sunday 16 August 2020, under strict conditions:
“Please be advised that as at 12 o’clock today the SRC has approved racing at Borrowdale Park for Sunday the 16th August – albeit under stricter and monitored conditions.
1. Please note that under no circumstances will any person be allowed into the parade ring other than the trainer and jockey at any time (including post-race)
2. Jockeys are to wear masks at all times after leaving jockey room until re-entering the change room.
3. All trainers are to wear masks at all times.
4. Owners will be segregated on the 3rd floor with a maximum of 50.
“Any breach of these conditions will result in the offender being removed from the racecourse.”
The Borrowdale Park race meeting scheduled for Sunday 9 August was postponed by the Mashonaland Turf Club on Saturday, at noon, because permission to race had not been received from the SRC – who in their wisdom must have felt there had been a breach of COVID -19 protocols somewhere along the line.
As I understand it the protocols mainly revolve around social distancing – and wearing of masks. This is in force around Harare but does not seem to apply to queuing for transport, queuing for maize meal and so on and so forth – all in confined areas. Masks are worn – and slipped down occasionally – because people need to breathe, or make themselves heard, now and again.
Borrowdale Park racecourse covers hundreds of acres so why not groups of 50 people spread at huge intervals around the course? Not that this has been happening.
At present, the size of the race fields is on average about 6 runners. But let’s say there could be 8 or 9, and that hasn’t happened often since March 27.
At the start of a race (far away from the stands and parade ring) perhaps there might be 12 handlers, 2 starters, 2 vets, 8 jockeys, 4 extras – totalling 28 – and all these figures are on the high side.
In the Parade Ring, before and after the race, there could be 8 jockeys, 4 trainers, 2 photographers, 10 grooms, 4 owners, 2 commentators, 2 stipes, 1 specimen collector– a total of 33 and also probably not so many in actual fact.
On the stands which could accommodate hundreds – all social distancing – only a handful, including some from the Parade Ring. So, what is the problem?
At each meeting, there are only 7 or 8 races – spread over about 4 hours.
A race meeting takes a lot of time to set up – and costs money. There are various stages – Nominations, Weights & Draws, Acceptances, and before that the planning, and training and feeding many horses. The only return owners get is from stake money earned in a race – and at Borrowdale, races are few and far between.
The fact that racing has been allowed in a limited fashion during the past couple of months is appreciated – but it seems permission must be sought for each meeting and that is not given timeously.
Racing is both a sport and an industry – once very successful – and some livelihoods are at stake. In Zimbabwe racing has been battling to survive for several years – and credit is due to those who have made this possible. At this stage, power plays are not helpful.
This pandemic is causing havoc worldwide but race meetings are taking place in many countries, even in those most affected. In some cases moves are afoot to step back from the most stringent of the behind-closed-doors stipulations.
I do not speak for the Mashonaland Turf Club but in the interests of Borrowdale racing in the long term, I believe I have the right to state my case.
The Mashonaland Turf Club has, regrettably, had to pull the plug on tomorrow’s scheduled race meeting at Borrowdale Park.
The MTC chairman, Gary Carter, has issued the following statement:
‘It is with great disappointment that I have to inform the followers of Borrowdale Park Racing that the meeting scheduled tomorrow is postponed.
‘On Friday the MTC were informed by the Sports and Recreation Council (SRC) of a breach of the COVID 19 protocols that had appeared on social media, and that approval was denied to hold the race meeting on Sunday 9th August.
‘The MTC appealed that decision on the grounds that it was an isolated blemish on an otherwise very successful implementation of the COVID 19 guidelines over the last three months. At this point in time the MTC has not received the outcome of that appeal and so has taken the painful decision to postpone the meeting in line with the current ruling.
‘The MTC will continue to lobby the relevant authorities for a swift return to safe racing and reaffirms its support for the measures taken by the Government of Zimbabwe to fight the spread of this pernicious disease.’
Borrowdale Park is racing behind closed doors, again, tomorrow (Sunday), and although the fields are small most require a bit of thought. The first race is due off at 11.40.
The fourth race on the card, a 1450m MR 60 Handicap, is quite tricky as most of the runners could win but the 1450m trip always makes me wonder. A shade too short for some, perhaps, because a touch of speed, as well as a bit of stamina, is required.
I will be rooting for 10-year-old Wee Doch’n Dorris – just because I would like to see him clock up his 10th win. He is one of Borrowdale’s super troopers and has certainly played his part, with style, over the years.
Photograph by Gavin Macleod taken at Borrowdale Park on the 30 July. Dindingwe winning the Champion Juvenile Stakes – trained by Kirk Swanson and with Apprentice Rodgers Satombo in the irons.
Today all Thoroughbreds foaled in the Southern Hemisphere turn one year older. Happy birthday, keep safe and go well.
Norbert Takawira steered Coachella to victory in June when Bridget Stidolph’s charge made his record breaking run in a Pinnacle Plate.
NORBERT TAKAWIRA – CHAMPION JOCKEY 2019/2020
Congratulations to Norbert Takawira – Zimbabwe’s Champion Jockey for the 2019/20 racing season.
At today’s race meeting at Borrowdale Park he added yet another winner to his score when bringing home Hold The Biscuit for the Terzi stable in the 1800m Novice Plate.
The 2020 Champion Juvenile Stakes is the feature race today
This is the last race of our 2019/2020 season and one of our jockeys will be writing his name in Zimbabwe racing’s history book. Guess who?
The first race is due off at 11 10 am – so start looking for the live stream from SandSport LIVE at around 11 am. There will be a link on this site, also on Zimbabwe Owners & Trainers (@zimracing) – and on Zimbabwe Owners & Trainers (@racinginzim) if you are a Facebook fan. Follow the navigation menu above for the live stream, tips and online race card.
COVID-19 restrictions still apply but it will be a great day.
There is racing at Borrowdale Park on Thursday – observing COVID-19 restrictions – and with the first race due off at 11.10 am.
The last race, eighth on the card, is the 1200m Champion Juvenile Stakes (GR 3) where the son of Master Of My Fate, Mind Master, takes on four fillies – Dindingwe (by Futura), Mazikeen (Twice Over (GB)), Safiyaa (Coup De Grace (USA)) and True Beauty (Skit Skizzle).
Juveniles can improve out of all recognition so this will be a particularly interesting race, and best of luck to the tipsters.
The seventh race, the 1800m Borrowdale Challenge, should also be a humdinger and in better times might have been the OK Grand Challenge. Four of the six runners – Peggson, Three To Tango, OwlInTheTree and Arte – ran in the 2000m Pinnacle Plate 100 on June 26, and are now joined by Tandava and Yarraman who are both formidable.
PRESUMABLY WITHOUT TELLYTRACK
Presumably racing will not be shown on Tellytrack but will be covered by a live stream posted by SandSport Live on Facebook. There will be a link on Racing At Borrowdale Park In Zimbabwe, shared on Zimbabwe Owners & Trainers, and hopefully posted on this site (Borrowdale Videos) for those who don’t do Facebook.
Things I have learned in the last two meetings without Tellytrack…if due to unforeseen circumstances the link goes down SandSport will set up another one and you must rejoin. If you have any difficulties try refreshing the page. A lot seems to depend on your server. Some have complained about the sound….so if you can borrow or steal speakers to attach to your laptop or PC – it definitely helps.
And that said I must admit I really don’t know what I am talking about. Speak to an expert.
If and when I receive the online racecard a link will be posted in all the usual places.
LAST MEETING THIS SEASON
This is the last race meeting of the 2019/2020 racing season in Zimbabwe. The Gokhan Terzi stable will be Champion Trainer – and congratulations to Vanessa Birketoft for managing this satellite yard so successfully.
On the riding front Norbert Takawira is riding high and probably can’t be caught either.
Photograph by Zimbabwe Equine News: Lily Blue with Calvin Habib up – quite a long time ago.
Borrowdale Park’s darling, Lily Blue, comes out on Sunday in the Zimbabwe Oaks (L), and seems heading for a seventh successive victory.
Bred by Geoff Armitage, Lily Blue won two legs of the Triple Crown – the Zimbabwe Guineas and the Zimbabwe Derby – where she took on the boys.
The Black Minnaloushe (USA) filly already has two legs of the Triple Tiara under her belt – the Fillies Classic and the Silver Slipper. The Zimbabwe Oaks is run over 2000m but Lily Blue has won up to 2400m so that won’t be a problem.
Three brave fillies have picked up the Oaks gauntlet – Centre Stage, Prescott and Candy Cane.
Prescott and Candy Cane, as well as Lily Blue, are trained by Bridget Stidolph. Prescott has run second to her stable companion on several occasions, but Candy Cane has yet to race against her. This Pathfork (USA) filly previously raced in Gauteng from 1000m to 1800m, and has only had two starts at Borrowdale. She won her last outing where she beat Maitreya by a length in a 1450m Maiden Plate.
Candy Cane will have claiming apprentice Munashe Josi in the irons. Weight counts but the other runners have experienced jockeys on their side. Morgan Nyamagwete rides Lily Blue; Kevin Derere is aboard Centre Stage, while Nikki Sibanda is on Prescott.
Centre Stage from Tomcat Racing raced in South Africa and won a 2000m Maiden at Borrowdale on March 27. The daughter of Oratorio(IRE)’s last outing was on June 12 when she finished 5.75 lengths off Zambezi Rapids in a 1800m Allowance Plate.
Lily Blue looks hard to beat in this one and everyone likes to see a good horse win. I suspect the real battle will be on for second place.
Racing at Borrowdale Park in Harare - Zimbabwe 