Photographer Gavin MacLeod recorded the defining moment at Borrowdale Park yesterday afternoon when Lily Blue surged ahead to win the 2400m Zimbabwe Derby by 1.50 lengths.
By Black Minnaloushe (USA), Lily Blue passed this ultimate test of speed and stamina – once again beating the boys with consummate ease.
Congratulations to the owners, the Gin ‘ll Fix It Syndicate (nominee Kirsty Stidolph), Robin MacLeod and Betty Prosser; trainer Bridget Stidolph, jockey Morgan Nyamagwete and breeder Geoff Armitage.
Lily Blue has won the 2020 Zimbabwe Derby having played a waiting game until it was time to show the field a clean pair of heels.
Congratulations to trainer Bridget Stidolph, jockey Morgan Nyamagwete and owners the Gin’ll Fixit Syndicate (nominee Kirsty Stidolph) Robyn Macleod and Betty Prosser. Lily Blue was bred by Geoff Armitage.
There was a problem with Globe Master’s gate, resulting in a false start but the field quickly reloaded. Tree Of Wisdom led the way, joined by Seattle Frost who eventually took over and was going well coming up the straight until Lily Blue and Wantage joined in the chase.
Wantage, stablemate of Lily Blue was second, then Zambezi Rapids and Seattle Frost.
Congrats also to SandSport LIVE for excellent coverage of Borrowdale today.
Although not a main feature at Borrowdale Park on Friday, the 2000m Pinnacle Plate 100 is probably the closest we will get to a ‘Tankard’ field in 2020 – with the complication of riders who can claim.
Roosting at the top of the list of runners is relative newcomer Owlinthetree who, along with stable companion Peggson, carries 60 kgs.
The trouble is whenever I see that name, I think of former Borrowdale trainer Collin Nicholson. I recall he had a mini fit one day when an owl settled on his roof. Of course, in the dim days before the dark days, we were very superstitious and longed to kill if someone said ‘Good Luck’ before a race. That doesn’t seem to matter anymore (or so they think).
With that out of the way let’s be serious.
Four stables are represented in this line-up. Bridget Stidolph will saddle Owlinthetree and Peggson; Vee Racing and Tomcat Racing are pinning their hopes on Fareeq and Holy Land respectively, and the Swanson yard is in with Three To Tango, Bugatti Blue, Legend and Arte.
Legend, by Gimmegreenlight (AUS) is having his second start in Harare and is rather a dark horse being a winner over 1400m and 1600m.
Owlinthetree by Dynasty out of a Giant’s Causeway (USA) mare, won two races at Turffontein over 1800m. He has had one start at Borrowdale in the 1600m Graduation Plate on June 3, where he came second to Bam Bam Pebbles.
Without a doubt, Peggson is the super trooper in this line-up. A winner of 7 races from 1200m to 2000m, including the Ipi Tombe Stakes and the Castle Tankard in 2019, and more recently the 2000m Breeders Champions Cup where Friday’s runner Three to Tango was three lengths back receiving 2 kgs. Bugatti Blue ran third.
Peggson’s last outing was on June 3 in the 1600m Independence Trophy won by Holy Land. Pegasus ran fourth with Fareeq and Three To Tango in front of him but this was a tight finish – the first four were within 0.90 lengths. Legend was further back.
In the 2019 Tankard Peggson carried 57 kgs, and lightly weighted Leven Point, Fareeq and Arte filled the minor places. This time Fareeq meets Peggson on tougher terms, but Arte comes in at 50 kgs with a claiming apprentice in the irons. Wow.
Independence Trophy winner, Holy Land, still receives 4 kgs from Peggson, Bugatti Blue has a claiming apprentice on board, and 2019 Zimbabwe Derby Winner, Three To Tango, can’t be ignored.
The only certainty is that Peggson has quite a lot to do. I can’t wait to see the betting.
The first race on Friday is off at 12.25. The Zimbabwe Derby is due off at 15.05, and the Pinnacle Plate 100 at 15.40. No spectators allowed on the course but you can watch on DSTV Channel 239.
LEICESTER SQUARE Jackson – Epic Style by Spectrum (IRE)
SEATTLE FROST Mambo In Seattle (USA) – Silvan Wind by Silvano (GER)
We race at Borrowdale Park on Friday and eight runners are due to line up for the Zimbabwe Derby (GR3), but it is hard to look further than Wantage, Zambezi Rapids, and Lily Blue – and Lily Blue will be receiving 3.5 kgs.
This is the last leg of the Zimbabwe Triple Crown for three-year-olds which cannot be won this year. Lily Blue triumphed in the first leg, the Zimbabwe Guineas, and Wantage in the Zimbabwe 2000. Can either add a second leg to their Triple Crown tally?
Then there is the lightly raced Zambezi Rapids, who may be peaking at just the right time.
Wantage and Zambezi Rapids came out in the 1800m Allowance Plate on June 12 and that day Zambezi Rapids scored, but the Zimbabwe 2000 winner, Wantage, was giving the Dynasty gelding 5 kgs. The playing field is levelled here so If Wantage is comfortable over the Derby distance he should be able to turn the tables.
It really all depends on who can best handle the grueling 2400m trip, and as none of the runners has gone further than 2000m only time will tell.
Lily Blue – the star-studded daughter of Black Minnaloushe (USA) and winner of her last five starts, including the Zimbabwe Guineas (GR3) and the 1800m Silver Slipper (L), has not raced since March 15, which is a minus, and she too is an unknown quantity over more ground. However, she has beaten the boys before.
Leicester Square worries me slightly – I wonder about his Merit Rating of 73 – for a one-time winner over 2000m at Greyville. After that race, his MR went from 77 to 86, but has dropped since then. On Leicester Square’s Zimbabwe form, he seems well held by Wantage and Zambezi Rapids, but could he be waiting for further? This gelding is by Jackson, but his trainer says the female line is very versatile ranging from 1200m to 2450m.
Thomas Mason will also saddle Seattle Frost – a well-bred winner over 1800m.
Bridget Stidolph, with top colt Wantage, top filly Lily Blue and game filly Prescott, probably has the strongest hand, but the Swanson team will be doing their utmost to hold her in check with Zambezi Rapids, Tree Of Wisdom and Globe Master.
Everyone wants a Derby winner and may the best horse come to the party. Please don’t ask me who that will be.
Photographs by Zimbabwe Equine News
TREE OF WISDOM Soft Falling Rain – Minerva by Western Winter (USA )
GLOBE MASTER Divine Jet – Cotton Country by Trippi (USA)
LILY BLUE Black Minnaloushe (USA) – Mammy Blue (ZIM) by Kitalpha (USA)
PRESCOTT Ato – Taylinlee by Brave Tin Soldier (USA)
One of the closest finishes at Borrowdale Park for quite a while occurred in the 1600m MR 50 Handicap on Friday – and two claiming appies actually stole this show. The winning margins were: 0.05 – 0.05 and 0.50 lengths.
*Rodgers Satombo on Supa Memories and *Walter Shumba on Crown Brewed put their heads down and gave it their all with *Satombo snatching the verdict by a whisker.
Brendon McNaughton and Rose Diamond (third) were conceding oodles of weight and what a finish.
Great stuff – it is moments like this that get people hooked on racing.
Photograph by Andrew Philip: Crown Brewed (centre), Supa Memories (left)and rose Diamond on the right. Missy Franklin ran fourth.
As expected, Zambezi Rapids reversed the result with Wantage, recent winner of the Zimbabwe 2000, when they met in the 1800m Allowance Plate at Borrowdale Park on Friday.
Wantage was giving his rival 5 kgs and, coming from a long way back, finished only 1.75 lengths behind him. In the 2400m Zimbabwe Derby they will meet at level weights and both will have their supporters, although on breeding Zambezi Rapids (Dynasty – Cool River by Western Winter (USA) probably has the edge over Bridget Stidolph’s charge (Ato – Angora by Tamburlaine (IRE).
We shall see.
Trained by Kirk Swanson, with Norbert Takawira up, Zambezi Rapids is owned by Messrs C & R Kieswetter and bred by Highlands Farms Stud (Pty) Ltd. Wantage (Nyamagwete) is owned by Newbury Racing (Pty) Ltd. (nominee Mr D E Evans) and bred by Newbury Racing & Breeding Ltd. Well done everyone – we look forward to another great race.
On Friday Tree Of Wisdom (*Satombo) tried to make every post a winning one, but had to settle for third, and Prescott was fourth.
Photograph of Zambezi Rapids taken by Andrew Philip.
Not only did Coachella carry 62 kgs in the Pinnacle Plate 105 at Borrowdale Park on Friday – and win – the six-year-old Alado (GB) gelding smashed the course and class records. His time over the 1100m trip was 62.39 seconds.
Life Is Good previously held the Course Record – 62.99 carrying 58kgs. In November 2013 Two Buck Chuck set the Class Record – 64.99 with 50 kgs.
Coachella is trained by Bridget Stidolph and Norbert Takawira was in the irons.
Owner John Koumides had the added distinction of having two horses in his colours duelling up the straight before Coachella pulled away to win. What A Dandy (Derere) came second, followed by Christofle (Nyamagwete) then Clash City Rocker (Sibanda). Coachella was bred by Professor I M Sanne.
Coachella has won 8 eight races from 1000 to 1260 m including the 2017 HRIB Gold Cup (carrying 61 kgs).
In the 2018 HRIB he carried 63 kgs and finished only 1.5 lengths off Twilight Trip – Road To Dubai (52 kgs) was second. The winner was also set to carry 52 but had claiming apprentice Liam Tarentaal on board that day
In the 2019 Gold Cup Coachella was just touched off by Verdier (receiving 11 kgs) and Friday’s runners Silver Coin and What A Dandy were further back.
The Gold Cup is over 1200m, but Friday’s 1100m Pinnacle Plate at Borrowdale Park should suit Coachella (62kgs) very well. He has won four times over this trip and will be back up the straight for the first time since the Gold Cup outing in December 2019. With the outside draw, I expect this six-year-old Alado (GB) gelding will be hard to beat despite carrying top weight – again.
Coachella is trained by Bridget Stidolph, and this time Norbert Takawire has the ride. Morgan Nyamagwete is on stable companion Christofle (54kgs) – also no slouch over 1100m. Silver Coin, What A Dandy and Clash City Rocker all have some claims to sprinting fame, but…
As there is no feature race at Borrowdale Park on Friday the focus is on a 1800m Allowance Plate for three-year-olds – the only available prep race, I would imagine, for the approaching 2400m Zimbabwe Derby and 2000m Zimbabwe Oaks.
When the weights were first published Bridget Stidolph’s star filly, Lily Blue, was set to carry 62 kgs but due to COVID -19 the minimum riding weight in plate races was raised to 52 kgs -and with this in play Lily Blue would have carried 64.5 kgs. Understandably this was a very tall ask so Lily Blue won’t step out this time. Fire To The Rein and Varnica also scratched, leaving a field of six.
Wantage, a colt by Ato and trained by Bridget, is now the class act and he will carry 62 kgs. He ran second to Lily Blue in the Zimbabwe Guineas on the first of March, conceding 2.5 kgs. A few weeks later Wantage won the Zimbabwe 2000, beating Friday’s runner Zambezi Rapids by 1.25 lengths at level weights.
Zambezi Rapids from the Swanson yard has won over 1200m and 1600m and considering his run in the Zimbabwe 2000, and the turnaround in weights here, this lightly raced Dynasty gelding poses a threat.
The Swansons’ other runner. Tree Of Wisdom, has the advantage of a recent run under his belt. By Softly Falling Rain, he came out on June 3 when third to Bam Bam Pebbles in a 1600m Graduation Plate.
Tomcat Racing fields two – Centre Stage a filly by Oratorio (IRE), and the Jackson gelding, Leicester Square. There is little local form to go on but Thomas Mason has surprised us before.
Last, but not least, is the ultra-consistent Ato filly, Prescott – Wantage’s stable companion, and so often the bridesmaid to Lily Blue.
So, the three-year-old star may be missing from the line-up, but this still has the makings of a good race. Apprentice allowances may be claimed.
The Allowance Plate is due off at 13.25. The First race of the day is a Maiden Juvenile Plate at 10.55 featuring 9 runners including first-timer Obscure, a half-sister to Lily Blue, and four trainers. Things are looking up.
1 5 WANTAGE (3C) 62.0 (MR81) M Nyamagwete – Bridget Stidolph Ato – Angora by Tamburlaine (IRE)
2 6 ZAMBEZI RAPIDS (3G) 57.0 (MR76) N Takawira – Kirk Swanson Dynasty – Cool River by Western Winter (USA)
3 2 LEICESTER SQUARE (3G) 54.5 (MR79) *W Shumba (4.00) – Thomas Mason Jackson – Epic Style by Spectrum (IRE)
4 4 TREE OF WISDOM (3G) 54.5 (MR63) *R Satomba (1.5) – Kirk Swanson Soft Falling Rain – Minerva by Western Winter (USA)
5 3 CENTRE STAGE (3F) 52.0 (MR68) Kevin Derere – Thomas Mason Oratorio (IRE) – Sleek Jet by Jet Master
6 1 PRESCOTT (3F) 52.0 (MR69) N Sibanda – Bridget Stidolph Ato – Taylinlee by Brave Tin Soldier (USA)
Photographs by Gavin MacLeod and Jenny Stock. Unfortunately no pic of Leicester Square available.
Newcomer to Borrowdale Park, Holy Land, came from the clouds to win the 1600m Independence Trophy at Borrowdale Park today.
The four-year-old Ideal World gelding is owned by is owned by Messrs G. Goksel, G Carter, D T Machingaidze and Mesdames P J Lewis, C M de Jong, A G Mason and S Ziehl. He is trained by Tomcat Racing and Kevin Derere was in the irons. He was bred by Wilgersbosdrift and Mauritzfontein.
Thomas Mason also saddled two winners earlier in the day – Rawedge (*Munashe Josi) and Seattle Frost (Kevin Derere).
Venessa Birkentoft, assistant trainer at Vee Racing, also had a good day, scoring with Widjaan (Norbert Takawira), Clash City Rocker (*Rodgers Satombo) and Bam Bam Pebbles (Brendon McNaughton).
Vee Racing may in fact have had four winners because the last race was too close for the commentator to call between Moxie and Flapjack – and to be honest I don’t have a clue who won. Do not worry – the full racing results will be published later.
Today was a case of too much multi-tasking from my point of view. Trying to update pages, getting the times wrong, losing my place on the online racecard, and tuning into the live feed from Borrowdale Park, while watching Tellytrack on DSTV.
Hopefully, there will be more time to get organised before the next Borrowdale race meeting. Congratulations to all the winners and runners-up at Borrowdale today.
There will be racing behind closed doors at Borrowdale Park on Wednesday, 3rd June 2020, This will be the first race meeting in Zimbabwe since March 27, due to the Covid-19 lockdown.
It is an early start -the first race is due off at 10 35.and the feature is the Independence Trophy. No spectators will be allowed on the course so tune in to DSTV, Channel 239.
The Mashonaland Turf Club has been working closely with the SRC, NHRA and the Minister of Sport in order to comply with the necessary protocols. Going forward, each race meeting will require its own separate application, and approval.
Racing at Borrowdale Park in Harare - Zimbabwe 