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.

Sygone, 2019 winner of the first two legs of Zimbabwe’s Triple Crown – the 1600m Zimbabwe Guineas and the Zimbabwe 2000 – has been nominated to run in the last leg, the 2400m Zimbabwe Derby on Sunday, April 28.

Final Acceptances are due early next week, and only then will we know whether we are once again on the Triple Crown trail. However, we have a new generation of racing fans at Borrowdale Park who may not have been here before.

That said, I know for sure that one of the younger members of the present MTC Board of Stewards was on course when the Zimbabwe Triple Crown was won for the first time by Island Farewell in 1983. He was about five at that time – a manipulative child who knew his way around the racecourse and thought nothing of persuading total strangers to stand in the queue and place his illegal bets.

For the benefit of those better brought up this is part of the background story.

Worldwide the connections of three-year-old horses dream of winning one of the Classics or maybe two. To win three of the races that make up the Triple Crown is never easy – although Zimbabwe has, over the years, had its fair share of winners.

Inaugurated at Borrowdale Park in 1980, the Triple Crown was not won until 1983. The Toff was a three-year-old in 1980 and although beaten by Manawatu by 1.25 lengths in the Guineas, he won the next two legs. Often a horse that wins well over a mile – or even 2000m – cannot see out the 2400m trip – or vice versa. This is what makes the Triple Crown series a test of both speed and stamina – and gets most of us, on the day, behind a possible winner.

Since 1980 there have been eight Zimbabwe Triple Crown winners:

1983 Island Farewell – Trainer Robin Smith
1986 Match Winner – Trainer Sharon Patterson
1995 Stay Alert – Trainer Ginger Halfpenny
1997 Summer Silence – Trainer Michael Clements
2006 Glen Monarch – Trainer – Lisa Harris
2007 Earl Of Surrey – Trainer Lisa Harris
2009 Rebecca’s Fleet – Trainer -Lisa Harris
2012 Madigan – Trainer – Kirk Swanson

We must be due a winner soon and, hopefully, Sygone will have a go on the 28th of April.

In any event, several people have been helping piece together what we can of our Triple Crown saga.

Regrettably, there are gaps but also some worthwhile reminiscences from connections of Triple Crown winners who have been there and done it.

One way or another you are going to read more about this, later.

About three years ago Jackie Cocksedge and Sharon Paterson were in Kentucky and made a point of visiting Ipi Tombe at Denali Stud.

At the time Ipi Tombe had been covered by Scat Daddy but the groom could not confirm if she was in foal. She was born in Zimbabwe in 1998, so Jackie recently contacted Denali Stud to check on the 21-year-old mare and has received this reply:

“Yes, we still have Ipi, she’s doing well and has since been retired after her last foal in 2016, a colt named Strictly Biz. When you visited her, she was in foal to Scat Daddy, but according to records it says she slipped then, as well as in 2017. They decided to retire her then. She lives outside with her field mates now and is doing well!”

Kentucky is a world away from the scene of Ipi Tombe’s racing triumphs in South Africa and Dubai, and Borrowdale Park – where it all began.

Go well, Ipi Tombe. So far away but never forgotten by all your fans back home.

Congratulations to all the winning connections…

TOP LEFT: ASHTON PARK MAIDEN PLATE 1000m
LILY BLUE – Calvin Habib for Bridget Stidolph. Winning margin 4 lengths (Sweeft (ZIM). Owned by Ms Robyn Macleod & Gin’ll Fix It Syndicate (Nom: Miss K Stidolph). Bred by Mr G J Armitage.

TOP RIGHT: DUFFI’S CALL MERIT RATED 65 HANDICAP 1260m
COOL SOLUTION – R Danielson for Kirk Swanson. Winning margin 1.75 lengths (Battle Cry). Owned by Dr Ronald Mhizha & Messrs G Carter, SP Gorringe, ZR Lusengo, Sterling M Miller, DK Ward, ML Wood, Mesdames PJ Lewis, AG Mason & UC Malan & Mr PD Mrs UA Gorringe. Bred by Summerhill

TOP LEFT: EURAKILON MERIT RATED 55 HANDICAP 2200m
BAUMGARTNER – Wes Marwing for Kirk Swanson. Winning margin 4 lengths (Pirate Hunter). Owned by Mr J. Koumides. Bred by Haras Del Carmo Close Corporation.

TOP RIGHT: CAPTAIN’S TIGER MAIDEN PLATE 1800m
DOUBLEOSEVENAGAIN – H Greyling for Penny Fisher. Winning Margin 0.75 lengths (Ineffable). Owned by Mr J Dardagan. Bred by Sarahdane Stud.

TOP LEFT: EARL OF SURREY GRADUATION PLATE 1600m
INNOVATION – B McNaughton for Penny Fisher. Winning margin 0.10 lengths (Hillah The Hun). Owned by Mr G. Goksel. Bred by Rosedean Stud.

TOP RIGHT: INDEPENDENCE TROPHY 1600m
AMSTERDAM – R Danielson for Kirk Swanson. Winning margin 1.0 lengths (Knuckleball). Owned by Mr R. Kieswetter. Bred by Highlands Farms Stud (Pty) Ltd.

BELOW LEFT: LUCKY SAM MERIT RATED 50 HANDICAP 1100m
CLASH CITY ROCKER – H Greyling for Penny Fisher. Winning margin 0.75 lengths (Mill Creek). Owned by Messrs G Goksel & D W Rosser. Bred by Rathmor Stud (nom: Mr M A McHardy).

BELOW RIGHT: SYGONE FROM ACTION JACKSON

Not strictly a winner on April 14 but now that meeting is wrapped up we are on the Triple Crown Trail with Sygone. The next Borrowdale Park race meeting is on April 28 and features the 2400m Zimbabwe Derby – third leg of Zimbabwe’s Triple Crown

Amsterdam, winner of the 2000m Breeders Champions Cup on March 24, scored again in the 1600m Independence Trophy at Borrowdale Park this afternoon.

Knuckleball, Roman Discent and Fareeq also finished in the money.

Trained by Kirk Swanson and bred by Highlands Farms Stud, Amsterdam is owned by Mr R Kieswetter and Raymond Danielson was in the irons.

During the afternoon the Swanson yard and Penny Fisher Racing saddled three winners each.

Congratulations to all the winning connections.

The first race at Borrowdale Park today is due off at 12 35 pm.

Nine of Zimbabwe’s top racehorses will line up for the 1600m Independence Trophy at 15 35. The prestigious Castle Tankard is on May 11 so take this opportunity to check out some of the likely Tankard runners.

Entry to the course is free. There is a playground for children – entry RTGS10.

Please bring your friends and show them what they have been missing.