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.

Follow the racing from Borrowdale on SandSports live stream, on this site https://zimracing.com/borrowdale-park-videos/.

THE 1450 MR 60 HANDICAP FIELD

1 MILL CREEK Draw 6 – 60kgs – *WALTER SHUMBA (4.0) – KIRK SWANSON
6 ch m Pathfork (USA) – Lena (USA) by Woodman (USA)
4 wins, 14 places, 32 runs

2 CANDY CANE Draw 2 – 56.5kgs – MORGAN NYAMAGWETE – BRIDGET STIDOLPH
4 b f Pathfork (USA) – Cane Martini by Rich Man’s Gold (USA)
I win, 2 places, 21 runs

3 SUPA MEMORIES (ZIM) Draw 1- 56.5kgs – *RODGERS SATOMBO (3.5) – KIRK SWANSON
6 ch g Fencing Master (GB) – Dupa Dear (ZIM) by Tilden (IRE)
6 wins, 17 places, 34 runs

4 ROSE DIAMOND (ZIM) Draw 3 – 56kgs – BRENDON MCNAUGHTON – GOKHAN TERZI
6 ch m Fencing Master (GB) – Got cha Girl (ZIM) by Volcanic (IRE)
5 wins 13 places, 28 runs

5 WEE DOCH ‘N DORRIS Draw 5 – 56kgs – *MUNASHE JOSI (4.0) – KIRK SWANSON
10 b g Kildonan – Whatsinaname by Western Winter (USA)
9 wins, 31 places, 70 runs

6 BUSHMAN (ZIM) Draw 4 – 55kgs – NOBERT TAKAWIRA + 2.0 – KIRK SWANSON
5 ch g Fencing Master (GB) – Little Chikitita (ZIM) by Ravishing
3 wins, 9 place, 18 runs

Photographs: Zimbabwe Equine News

Today all Thoroughbreds foaled in the Southern Hemisphere turn one year older. Happy birthday, keep safe and go well.

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.

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.

First race at 12 30 pm.
The Zimbabwe Oaks (L) is due off at 16 10.

Watch SandSport LIVE from Borrowdale on this site, or on https://www.facebook.com/zimracing/ 

If by some mischance the link goes down find SandSports LIVE on Facebook.

Enjoy your day.

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.

On this site …see Borrowdale Video ‘page’

The last two races on tomorrow’s Borrowdale Park card could well be the most exciting. It is hard to choose between the 1600m Progress Plate and the 1260m Pinnacle Plate 105 as both have interesting runners.

Tandava returns to Borrowdale Park in the Pinnacle after a lengthy break but with a 6 kg pull in weights he should, if racing fit, be a match for Coachella.

The Progress Plate isn’t quite as simple. Zambezi Rapids, as a three-time winner carries 60 kgs, and Owlinthetree is on 57.5 kgs.  The latter will be giving Bam Bam Pebbles 1 kg and when they met over 1600m on June 3 Owlinthetree, conceding 2 kgs, was only three-parts of a length behind him. At the last Borrowdale meeting Owlinthetree was 1.60 lengths off Peggson over 2000m at level weights which is not to be sneezed at.

Zambezi Rapids, third to Lily Blue in the recent Zimbabwe Derby, is not so easy to assess.  He has won from 1200 – 1800m so will be distance suited.  This is something of an acid test for the son of Dynasty and may the best horse win.

The Progress Plate is the sixth on tomorrow’s card and is off at 16 05.  The Pinnacle Plate is due to be run at 16 45.

The first race at Borrowdale Park tomorrow is due off at 13 10 and six horses are due to line up for a 1000m Maiden Plate.

This field includes Tequila Man, Clifton Brawler and Safiyaa, plus three unknowns – Signett, Dindingwe and Jenny Blue. Regarding the newcomers, I only know they have not raced before but have no information about breeding as the two sites I usually turn to haven’t caught up with the Borrowdale fields yet. No doubt later in the day.

Clifton Brawler from Vee Racing ran third behind Citrusdal over 1700m at the last meeting, and prior to that was a close second to Petroni Vini over 1200m.

Tequila Man trained by Bridget Stidolph and with claiming apprentice Munashe Josi on board, was 2.80 lengths off Widjaan over 1000m on June 3, with Clifton Brawler behind him that day. He has been well placed over 1200m in previous starts and should go close here – unless one of the newbies surprises us.