Part of the build-up to the Castle Tankard is the Card Call which takes place on the preceding Thursday. Without a doubt, this is when the pre-race excitement starts.

If you are a regular Card Call habitue read no further…this is for those who might be put-off attending the Castle Tankard Card Call this evening, Thursday, May 9, because they don’t know how it works.

The Card Call has nothing to do with Tarot cards and so forth – it is basically an auction and the action starts when one buys a ticket – RTGS5 this year.

The bar in the Ipi Tombe Room at Borrowdale Park will open at 5 pm today and Card Call Tickets (RTGS 5 each) will be on sale from 5 30. One can elect to act alone or form a syndicate with friends. Syndicates are popular because that way you have a share in more tickets.

When the Card Call begins all the tickets are placed in a drum and everyone hopes they will draw a horse running in the 2000m Castle Tankard on Saturday, May 11. This Raffle Draw will take place around 6 pm.

The lucky ticket holders (known as the DRAWERS) then decide whether to bid on the horse they have drawn when it is auctioned. Usually, the auction takes place at about 7 pm.

If, as the DRAWER, you successfully bid on your drawn horse you will pay into the pool the actual amount of the final bid.

If you are the successful bidder on a horse, but NOT the DRAWER, you pay in DOUBLE the amount of the final bid. The DRAWER gets half, and the remaining amount goes into the pool.

NB – There is another player who may choose to be part of the action – the REAL owner – i.e. the one who pays the training fees. After the final bid he or she may choose to “DECLARE HALF”. This means the successful bidder and the real owner will each pay the amount of the final bid into the pool – and will share the prize money due if the horse is placed in the big race.

The pool, which is made up of proceeds from the ticket sales and the auction, is divided up and paid out after the Castle Tankard is run. The prizes are based on the first three horses placed in the Castle Tankard – plus a Random place.

That is the simplified version…for all the finer details please read the official Card Call “Rules” which will be available in the Ipi Tombe Room.

The Card Call is hosted by MOTA (Mashonaland Owners & Trainers Association) and everyone is welcome.

SIXTEEN of the eighteen horses nominated for the RTGS 100 000 Castle Tankard (GR1) to be run over 2000m at Borrowdale Park on May 11, have stood their ground.

The defectors are Coachella (who was set to carry 60 kgs) and Master Switch.

Simona, Heir Line, Twilight Trip, Amsterdam, Knuckleball, Peggson, Fareeq, Master n’ Commander, Bush Pilot, Penny from Heaven, Roman Descent, Verdier, Arte, Solinski, Leven Point and Wolves Among Sheep will contest Zimbabwe’s most prestigious race next Saturday. This will be the 57th running of the Castle Tankard.

The well-performed and distance suited Simona will now carry top weight, followed by Heir Line who comes in at 59.5 kgs.

Hillah The Hun followed across the line by Silver Buck, Hashtag Rounda and Red Pollard, won the MR 48 Handicap at Borrowdale Park on Sunday.

Trained by Penny Fisher, the Visionaire (USA) filly was bred by Mr A B Hogg and is owned by Gengiz Goksel and Mike Eaton. Hennie Greyling was in the irons.

Four-year-old Hillah The Hun has now won three races.

Congratulations.  

Photograph: Zimbabwe Equine News

In The Mood (left) and Wolves Among Sheep dead-heated in the 1800m MR 80 Handicap at Borrowdale Park on Sunday.

We may need more horses but still have our moments – quite often.

In The Mood (Raymond Danielson) is trained by Kirk Swanson, owned by John Koumides and bred by Summerhill Stud.

Wolves Among Sheep (Collen Storey) is trained by Bridget Stidolph, bred by Drakenstein Stud (nom: Mrs G A Rupert), and owned by Gary Carter, Paula Lewis, Scott Buchan, Neil Evans, Merlyn Chant, Gary de Jong, Ashley Dixon, Richard Morgan and Ryan Sherwood.

Solinski ran third, followed by Leven Point.

Congratulations everyone.

Photograph by Zimbabwe Equine News

Three To Tango, trained by Kirk Swanson, ridden by Raymond Danielson and owned by Mr C M and Mrs E B Shepherd, Mrs K M Bonthrone and Mr J Koumides, won the 2400m Zimbabwe Derby at Borrowdale Park this afternoon.

What a race, Three To Tango.

Sygone, second, was gallant in defeat. Mia Finola, the long-time leader. held on for third, and Rain Spider was fourth. Winning margins 2.00, 4.50 and 7.50 lengths.

The Triple Crown, once again, remained out of reach.

Congratulations to all the winning connections – and to everyone with a horse in the race. There would not have been one without you.

Photographs by Andrew Philip

Sygone will make his bid for the 2019 Triple Crown at Borrowdale Park today. If you live in Harare please be there to shout and scream.

This doesn’t happen often. The Zimbabwe Triple Crown was inaugurated at Borrowdale Park in 1980 and has only been won eight times since then.

Entry to the racecourse is free. The first race is at 12.35 pm and the 2400m Zimbabwe Derby – third and final leg of the Triple Crown series of races – is due off at 15.30.

Photograph: This glorious painting is by local artist, Natalie Hallowes, and features five of the eight Zimbabwe Triple Crown winners…. Glen Monarch, Matchwinner, Earl of Surrey, Madigan and Rebecca’s Fleet..

Madigan, by Joshua Dancer (USA), owned by John Koumides, trained by Kirk Swanson, and ridden in his heyday by Quinton Riddle, won the Triple Crown in 2012 – the last of Zimbabwe’s Triple Crown winners, to date.

He raced until he was 10, and his 11 victories also included the Ipi Tombe Stakes. Truly one of Borrowdale Park’s super troupers, and still going strong.

Madigan was part of the first group of horses Kirk bought off the Two-Year-Old Sale in Johannesburg.

“He showed he was something special from early on but didn’t win his maiden straight away, as we had hoped. In hindsight, he met Control Freak who was very precocious and did very well over the sprint distances. Madigan came into himself as a three-year-old. We gelded him when he was a two-year-old and opted to race him once the rains had come in his three-year-old career.

“Of the Triple Crown races the hardest race for him was the Guineas. I was away at my best friend’s wedding, where I was his best man. Debs held the fort for me and Madigan duly obliged.

“He won the second leg very well, despite a few cat and mouse tactics from some of the opposition.

“Then came the Derby and judging by the local opposition we thought it would be a walk in the park, only to see at nomination stage that Lisa had imported two new horses. One of these was Alula Borealis and the other Eurosilver.

“The race was sponsored by FBC Bank that year and we were very excited at the prospect of having a Triple Crown winner. Then a curved ball was thrown in our direction as Madigan got a skin disease on his girth prior to the race. We had to try and clear this up and, at the same time, keep him in work.

RACING KEEPS YOU HUMBLE

“Quinton, who rode him, was a great horseman and always very confident which always helps as a trainer. Race day came and of course you always have nerves, despite knowing you have a good horse. Horse racing has a great way of keeping you humble.

“The race was run as we planned. Quinton positioned him mid-field and Madigan always settled well in a race. I can remember him turning into the straight a few lengths behind the leaders. Quinton set him alight and the result was never in doubt. He quickly reeled in the leaders and we were celebrating.

“Madigan won by 2.5 lengths, beating Thatwasblazing. I think I almost jumped on top of JK that day in my excitement. Quinton passed the post standing up in the irons and waving to the crowd. Madigan had won us the Triple Crown.”

Kirk has a Derby runner this year. Three To Tango was placed in both the Guineas and the Zimbabwe 2000 and will carry the stable’s hopes on Sunday.

Madigan remains in the Swanson yard, overseeing things probably, and hacking with Laura Kelly, to whom he is leased.

Lisa Harris saddled three Zimbabwe Triple Crown winners, in quick succession, which will be a hard act for anyone else to follow. All three were ridden by Dewi Williams.

First up was Glen Monarch, owned by the Centaur Syndicate, in 2006. Earl of Surrey won for C John Smith in 2007, and the famous filly, Rebecca’s Fleet, owned by Heinrich and Amanda von Pezold, won the coveted Crown in 2009.

Luckily Gavin Macleod was able to produce photographs of Glen Monarch, and Lisa has supplied the captions. Sadly, Rebecca’s Fleet cannot be included in the line-up – and Lisa has gone into detail about the Earl’s Triple Crown venture.

This makes good reading and I am sure she could have provided equally entertaining anecdotes about Glen Monarch and Rebecca’s Fleet, given enough time.

Here goes:

“The very first time that Earl Of Surrey was asked to show his stride on the sand training track at Borrowdale, Bridget Stidolph and Heather Doran, my assistants at the time, as well as Granny Jill (Bruss) and I were momentarily rendered speechless.

” I must add this was a once-off, a very rare occurrence! The grin that ran around Dewi’s face as he returned aboard the big chestnut to the training ring simply confirmed our thoughts; we had a champion on our hands!

“Nine months later, the unbeaten Earl set forth on his Triple Crown trail. On the Saturday before the Guineas, I had just sat down for lunch with a glass of wine in hand; I felt confidant and relaxed at how well his preparation had gone, having gained invaluable experience from Glen Monarch the year before. Then my cell phone rang! It was a frantic Vengi, my stable foreman (he is now an assistant to Mike de Kock) telling me that Earl had been stung by something and was covered in angry bumps
. 
“I raced to the stables and my heart sank as I peered over the stable door to find a very dejected looking Earl; his head hung low, and his magnificent coat that had shone like a mirror just hours before, now resembled the trunk of a gnarly knob-thorn tree! He was covered from the tip of his nose to the end of his quarters in urticaria; an allergic reaction to what we believed to be from the ruthless probe of a malicious little insect of sorts. With less than 24 hours to go to meet his date with the Guineas, there was simply no medication that could be administered that would not reflect as a positive dope test.

“Heather raced to the 24-hour pharmacy and plundered their stocks of anti-histamine creams. Together we squeezed what felt like millions of the 50-gram tubes all over his body, hosing him down for the best part of three hours. The sun had already set when I finally left the stables, and although his coat was regaining its shine and most of the bumps had subsided, I was still not sure he would be able to race the next day.

“At the time, the Sunmark Racing Syndicate had also been blessed with a great sophomore filly in Al Czarina. She had effortlessly disposed of her competitors in the Fillies Classic a month earlier, and syndicate member Henk Leyenaar arranged for Jeff Lloyd to fly up to partner the chestnut, hoping that a jockey of such extreme talent and experience may just be enough to get every ounce of ability out of her to topple the unbeaten Earl.

“Of course, the rest is now history; Earl never came off the bit and won going away. Al Czarina ran fourth, separated by Stormcrow and her other stable companion, Spin Wizard.

“A month later, just as the horses were making their way to the race-course for the second leg of the prestigious treble, the skies darkened, and the rains came down! The 2000m event was run in pouring rain and extremely testing conditions. The commentator, Adrian Nydam, could not make out the horses until they were a stone’s-throw from home and Earl made real heavy weather (pun intended!) of the race, getting to the post just under a length ahead of Great Western.

“Derby day dawned and although all had gone well with a vet-less and stressless preparation, I was nervous as I saddled Earl, uncertain of his ability to see out the testing 2400m trip and very aware that his opponents would be sure to make it a true run race. At least, I thought to myself, we have dry ground, a firm track and the best jockey in the land.

“However, if the team had thought that he had made heavy weather of the leg prior, we were about to witness a performance of heart-stopping proportions! Earl simply refused to pick up the bit, cantering at the back of a strung-out field (some would say with a sense of humour) until about two hundred metres from home, when he simply lengthened his stride and effortlessly picked off each of the runners ahead of him.

“He was just half a length ahead of the long-time pacemaker On Guard at the line, a horse that remained a one-time winner for the rest of his career!

“The fact that Earl went on to win Group One sprints validated our opinion that it was simply his class that enabled him to stay the Derby trip!”

Everyone who is anyone should know by now that Sygone, owned by Newbury Racing (Pty) Ltd (nom: Mr D E Evans), and trained by Bridget Stidolph, faces the test of his lifetime at Borrowdale Park on Sunday – in the 2400m Zimbabwe Derby (Gr3).

If he wins, he will have earned the 2019 Zimbabwe Triple Crown, and we have not had a Triple Crown winner since 2012.

By Ato, Sygone has come into his own in two major three-year-old Classics, winning both impressively. Action Jackson chased him home in the 1600m Zimbabwe Guineas – winning margin 3.50 lengths. The son of Jackson came closer in the 2000m Zimbabwe 2000, finishing three-quarters of a length behind.

To be honest I expect this pair to make a race of it again, but this is the Derby – unknown territory for all the contenders. There are so many unanswered questions at this stage. Who will set the pace over the gruelling 2400m trip? Will anyone?

Except for the well-performed filly, Mia Finola, the rest of the Derby runners – Three To Tango, Rain Spider and Crown Brewed – took part and were well beaten in the Zimbabwe 2000, but are bred to do better.

Jackie Cocksedge provided an extensive pedigree analysis for the Zimbabwe 2000, and this can be found at https://zimracing.wordpress.com/…/zimbabwe-2000-runners-in…/

In all the Classics colts and geldings carry 58 kgs, and fillies 55.5 kgs. Mia Finola, by Var (USA) and out of a Wolfhound (USA) mare, has won 5 races from 900m to 1600m, including the 1600m Fillies Classic. She ran second to Simona in the 1800m Champion Fillies Stakes in November when receiving 10 kgs and beaten by 4 lengths. In the Zimbabwe Guineas Mia Finola was third to Sygone, receiving 2.5 kgs and 5 lengths back.

How she will fare over 2400m remains a mystery, but I am prepared to be surprised. My grandfather maintained that well-bred (and for that read well mannered) colts and geldings often let a good filly or mare win.

We shall see!

With help from many people, we have been taking a stroll down memory lane, reviewing past Triple Crown triumphs, and are not quite done yet.

I hope this has inspired Harare racing fans to turn out on Sunday and make the 2019 Derby memorable. It will be an exciting race and may the best horse win.

The first race at Borrowdale Park on Sunday is due off at 12.35 pm, and the Zimbabwe Derby – third leg of the Triple Crown – at 15.30.

Photograph by Gavin Macleod: The finish of the 2019 Zimbabwe 2000. Sygone holding off a late challenge from Action Jackson.

The six three-year-olds nominated to run in Sunday’s 2400m Zimbabwe Derby have all stood their ground so it’s all system’s go for Sygone. The son of ATO has already won the first two legs of Zimbabwe’s Triple Crown.

C John Smith has been associated with two Zimbabwe Triple Crown winners – and he sends his thoughts and good wishes from Yorkshire:

“For the reasons most people know, I believe the Derby is the pinnacle of racing excellence. It takes a proper horse, an experienced and skilled trainer and a gifted and talented jockey to pull off a Derby win.

“I have been racing for over 40 years and through all that time, my mission has been to buy horses to win this Classic race. On four occasions I have been lucky enough to be associated with a winner – starting with The Toff in 1980 – in Centaur Syndicate colours, then came Glen Monarch in 2006 – also in Centaur colours.

“A year later it was the turn of Earl of Surrey in my own colours and then in 2017 Solinski came in for the Dixie Chicks and me.

“I can’t say one winner was any more exciting or satisfying than another – each was very special indeed – but on two occasions the wins also sealed the Triple Crown – Glen and The Earl.

“The Triple Crown adds a further dimension to any racing CV – there will always be a Derby winner each year but trying to win over 8, 10 and then 12 furlongs with one three-year-old takes a bit of doing.

“Perhaps my wins were not as difficult as would have been the case in the early 80s – but I take great pride in the Earl because he was a sprinter miler – 2400m was way beyond his compass really – but his success is down to Lisa (for President!) Harris and the great sense of pace shown by Dewi Williams. He knew precisely how much pedal to use, and when, in order to get his mount that far and win.

“And how do I take Lisa’s quip at the time? “The Earl is very far from good looking, he has a funny way of standing and a strange way of walking, he is arrogant, full of sh*t but he is highly talented —- mmm a lot like you cj !”

“Sygone has a chance to pull off a special feat in this year’s Derby and Triple Crown decider – and for me it would be entirely appropriate if he did.

“Gael and Dennis Evans have been very great supporters of Zim racing in recent years – they deserve to win it – and there are no finer exemplars of racehorse owners to be found.

“I will be shouting Sygone home from Yorkshire!”

Photograph – Earl Of Surrey – Zimbabwe Triple Crown Winner in 2007.

… Dewi Williams, a former Zimbabwe Champion Jockey who rode three Triple Crown winners, has some advice for you.

“I was very fortunate to ride three. Glen Monarch was the first super horse, and Earl Of Surrey – a top-class sprinter – managed to get a mile and half – a great feat. Then Rebecca’s Fleet – the filly who beat the boys, and was unbeaten in all her 10 starts in Zimbabwe. Great memories.

“Preparation is the key going into the Derby. The 2400m trip is an unknown for most of the 3-year-olds. My mindset was always the same – I’m on the best and they all have to beat me.

“You try to stay as calm as you can, but you know what’s at stake. The gates open and you get a good position front, back or midfield.

“Be positive as only you and your horse can do it now. When all goes to plan and you hit the line your first thought is relief, because you’ve done it. Then it starts to sink in what you’ve just achieved, and you are so proud.”

As most of you know Dewi had to retire all too early after a serious injury. He is now living in the UK and this photograph was taken when Ryan Skelton was on holiday a while back.

The Triple Crown winners mentioned above were all trained by Lisa Harris.

Thanks for the words of wisdom, Dewi.

Match Winner, trained by Sharon Patterson and ridden by Stanley Eyden, was Zimbabwe’s second Triple Crown winner – in 1986.

The Nissr (GB) colt was bred by Geoff Armitage of Sandown Stud, in Zimbabwe, and sold for Z$10 000.

Sharon describes Match Winner as a small horse (15.2hh) with the heart of a lion. “When Peter Moor first saw the colt, he said I had bought him a bush pony. I told him he wasn’t allowed to see him for three months.

“In December 1985, after Match Winner won his second start, I predicted to Peter that his colt would win the Triple Crown.”

Sharon took over Roy Magner’s yard in 1983 when Roy (whom Sharon has described as her mentor) headed south.

When Match Winner won the Triple Crown and the 1986 Tankard, Sharon was in her second season of training and had already tasted success, having won the 1984 Castle Tankard and the 1985 Schweppes Gold Cup.

Match Winner won 7 races for Sharon (including the Castle Tankard as a three-year-old). He then moved to Roy Magner at The Vaal and ran second to Enchanted Garden in the John Skeaping Trophy – his first South African start. A fourth to Model Man in the Barclays (Gr 1) followed.

“Unfortunately,” says Sharon, “Match Winner only had 6 starts in South Africa before the awful Equine Flu virus hit and racing was abandoned for several months. We brought him back to Zimbabwe but on the journey home ‘Matchie’ developed terrible travel sickness and we were lucky to pull him through! We weren’t sure what damage had been done to his heart, so the decision was taken not to race him again.”

Match Winner went to Peter Moor’s Golden Acres Stud where he sired several winners – “but none of his calibre.”

The next Triple Crown Winner was Stay Alert, trained by Ginger Halfpenny, in 1995, followed by the Michael Clements-trained Summer Silence in 1997.

After that Zimbabweans waited until 2006 for another Triple Crown winner.