Ezekiel, by Soar With Eagles (USA) and bred by Sunmark Thoroughbreds in Zimbabwe, was back to his best in the 1700m MR 55 Handicap on Sunday.

Carrying 60 kgs he passed the post ahead of Sunrise Ruby, Peapack and Pirate Hunter.

The six-year-old gelding has now won five and placed five times from 17 starts. He is trained by Kirk Swanson and owned by John Koumides and Debra Swanson. Wesley Marwing was in the irons.

Congratulations.

Action Jackson, carrying 60 kgs, proved a worthy favourite in the 1600m Novice Plate at Borrowdale On Sunday.

The son of Jackson finished 1.25 lengths clear of Prairie Sky, followed by Rose Diamond and Rain Spider.

Action Jackson is trained by Penny Fisher and Ryan Munger was riding. He is owned by Gengis Goksel and was bred by Mr I.W. Longmore.

Well done!

The five-year-old Trippi (USA) gelding, Twilight Trip, clocked up a fifth win in the 1260m Open Handicap at Borrowdale Park on Sunday- beating Coachella by three lengths.

Bred by Patricia Devine Investments (Pty) Ltd, Twilight Trip is owned by Ryan Sherwood, Merlyn Chant, Scott Buchan, Neil Evans, Ashley Dixon and Bryn Ressell. He is trained by Bridget Stidolph and Bendon McNaughton was in the irons.

The Stidolph stable won the previous race – 1260m Maiden Plate, with Blue Label. This Oracy (NZ) gelding is owned by Bridget and Devin Habib had the winning ride.

Congratulations everyone.

Mia Finola led from start to finish – winning the 1600m Fillies Classic at Borrowdale Park with style.

The winning margin was 1.75 lengths and Mia Finola’s stablemate, Born To Shine, ran second, followed by Missy Franklin and Double Dab.

The three-year-old Var (USA) filly is owned by Newbury Racing (Pty) Ltd (nominee Dennis Evans) and was bred by Piemonte Stud. She has now won five of 11 starts.

Trained by Bridget Stidolph and ridden by Collen Storey.

During Sunday afternoon the Stidolph yard sent out five winners and Collen Storey rode three.

Congratulations.

Mia Finola, seen here winning the Fillies Mile in October, take on four rivals in the 1600m Fillies Classic at Borrowdale Park on Sunday.

The four-time winner meets this field at level weights and looks hard to beat.

Born to Shine and Miss Franklin ran in the Guineas Trial at the last meeting. Ineffable was second to Prairie Sky over 1700m on January 13, and Double Dab is a complete mystery.

This daughter of Gimmethegreenlight (AUS) ran in a 1000m Barrier Trial at Greyville in August and will race on Sunday for Penny Fisher with Ryan Munger in the irons.

On Saturday morning, February 2, some MTC and MOTA members engaged in a hole hunt on the “new” back straight – and found several. Termites don’t take holidays.

I hope both the MTC and MOTA will persist with and expand, this exercise. In my dreams I envisage at least 100 racing fans picnicking at Borrowdale Park, and getting to know more racing people while keeping up the hole hunt. There is plenty of ground to cover – and it will help to keep our racehorses and jockeys safer.

Under present circumstances, we can’t afford to do all we would like to. However, hunting for holes doesn’t cost money.

It appears it will be some time before there is racing on Borrowdale Park’s “new course”. Some problems have been identified and will be dealt with eventually.

In the meantime onward and upward – Harare has always had good reason to be proud of its racecourse.

Photograph by Gavin Macleod

R 1. COOL SOLUTION MAIDEN PLATE 1200m

Won by CROWN BREWED (B McNaughton), followed by Street Party, Blaze Of Modesty and Clash City Rocker.  The winner is owned by Messrs A Dixon, S N Buchan, N Evans, G Carter, M K Chant, R Sherwood & Mrs P J Lewis, and trained by Bridget Stidolph.  Winning Margin 0.50, 2.50 and 1.75 lengths.

R 2. MADIGAN MERIT RATED 50 HANDICAP 1200m

Won by WEE DOCH ‘N DORRIS (N Takawira) followed by Hillah The Hun, Supa Memories and Gateway Gamble. Trained by Kirk Swanson and owned by Dixie Chicks Syndicate (Nom: Miss V E Bruce) & Mr M L Wood
Winning margin 1.50, 1.50 and 0.50 lengths.

R 3.  ERNIE OR ELSE MERIT RATED 61 HANDICAP 1900m

Won by YARRAMAN (W Marwing), followed by Philanthropy, In The Mood and Finlay.  Trained by Penny Fisher and owned by Mr G. Goksel. Winning margin 3.75, 0.25 and 2.75 lengths.

R 4.  MICA POINT MERIT RATED 90 HANDICAP 1800m

Won by PEGGSON (B McNaughton), followed by Amsterdam, Penny From Heaven and Butchie Boy. Trained by Bridget Stidolph and owned by Messrs A Ackhurst, G De Jong, G M Littleford, S H Murray, A P Nydam, P C Rugg, S W Shutt, S N Buchan & N Evans. Winning margin 0.10, 0.75 and 1.00 lengths.

R 5. RICHIE RICH MERIT RATED 50 HANDICAP 1600m 

Won by FLASHER ON THE RUN (N Takawira), followed by Baumgartner, Prairie Sky and Rose Diamond. Trained by Kirk Swanson and owned by Mr J Koumides. Winning margin 0.10, 0.75 and 4.00 lengths.

R 6. GUINEAS TRIAL 1600m

Won by OPAQUE (B McNaughton), followed by Action Jackson, Rain Spider and Born To Shine. Trained by Bridget Stidolph and owned Newbury Racing (Pty) Ltd (Nom: Mr D E Evans). Winning margin 1.00, 1.50 and 2.00 lengths.

R 7. KNUCKLEBALL MERIT RATED 60 HANDICAP 1260m 

Won by KILOWATT KID (C Habib), followed by Ezekial, Cool Solution and Saheera. Trained by Bridget Stidolph and owned by Messrs S W Shutt, K Hatendi, Duncan Jones, H D Parboo, D C Samuels, C M Rambo, S N Buchan & N Evans. Winning margin 5.00, 0.25 and 3.00 lengths.

The next Borrowdale Park race meeting is on Sunday , 10 February, 2019, and it features the Fillies Classic.

Two Zimbabwe jockeys, Brendon McNaughton and Norbert Takawira, rode most of the winners on Sunday’s 7-race Borrowdale Park card.

Brendon had the edge, riding three winners for the Stidolph yard, while Norbert piloted two horses home for Kirk Swanson. The remaining laurels went to visiting jockeys Wes Marwing and Calvin Habib.

On February 3, 2019, Brendon McNaughton will be representing Zimbabwe in the International Jockey Challenge in Kenya. It will be a big day at Ngong racecourse, featuring the Brittam Guineas.

The three-year-old Ato gelding, Opaque, won the 1600m Guineas Trial at Borrowdale Park this afternoon.

Making the most of a light weight Opaque set the pace and held on to beat the favourite, Action Jackson. Rain Spider and Born To Shine were also placed.

The winner is trained by Bridget Stidolph and Brendon McNaughton was in the irons. He is owned by Newbury Racing (Pty) Ltd (nominee Mr D E Evans) and was bred by Summerhill Stud.

Congratulations.

Three-Year-Olds On Trial

In 2018 Knuckleball won the Guineas Trial, carrying 59.5 kgs and off a Merit Rating of 71. Although he did not win the 2018 Zimbabwe Guineas, won by Butchie Boy, he came a close second. Since then Penny Fisher’s charge has won four races, including the BSSA 2000, the Zimbabwe Derby and two 1800m handicaps in good company.

But why am I concentrating on Knuckleball when the focus is on the 2019 Guineas Trial to be run over 1600m at Borrowdale Park on Sunday?

The Guineas Trial is something of a misnomer as it is a handicap, whereas in the Zimbabwe Guineas the runners meet at set weights. When Knuckleball won the 2018 Trial, he had already won two races and he was receiving 1 kg from three-time winner, Edward The Seventh, recent winner of the Zimbabwe Challenge.

Which proves that three-year-olds with class can defy weight and still run true to form.

On Sunday six one-time winners will face the starter at 15.50 pm. The filly, Born To Shine, will carry 60 kgs, Action Jackson 59kgs, while Oden is on 57.5 kgs.

This lightly raced trio have all impressed, but it is difficult to decide whether they can give weight, and a beating, to the likes of Rain Spider and Missy Franklin who also grabbed the limelight on their day.

Let’s look at the field:

BORN TO SHINE- Drawn 6- 60kgs (MR 73) Marwing – Stidolph
3-y-o Filly by Windrush (USA) out of Badger Land (USA) mare (R:3 W:1 P:2)

Won 1100m Maiden Juvenile Plate on July 1, beating Tanganyika by 5 lengths. Finished 2.50 length behind Mia Finola in the 1450m Champagne Stakes with Missy Franklin, Rain Spider and Opaque further back. In that race fillies carried 55.5 kgs and colts and geldings 58 kgs. Last outing on December 1 in 1600m Tote Free Handicap won by Three To Tango. That day Action Jackson (52.5 kgs) came second, Born To Shine (56 kgs ran fourth) followed by Rain Spider, Opaque and Missy Franklin. The turnaround in weights on Sunday could see Born To Shine finish closer to Action Jackson this time.

ACTION JACKSON – Drawn 2 – 59 kgs (MR 71) Zechner – Fisher
3-y-o colt by Jackson out of a Jet Master mare (R:2 W:1 P:1)

This smart colt won a 1100m Maiden Plate on July 14, beating The River Green (conceding 3 kgs) by 0.25 lengths. His second, and only other outing was in the Tote Free Handicap (see above). Both these races were competitive, and Action Jackson must be in with a good chance here.

ODEN – Drawn 3 – 57.5kgs (MR68)- Penny – Fisher
3-y-o gelding by Oratorio (IRE) out of a Var (USA) mare (R:1 W:1 P:0)

Winner of his only start – a 1260m Maiden Plate on December 1. Looked impressive when beating subsequent winner, The Bar, by 6.50 lengths. It is fair to say Oden takes a step up in class on Sunday, but I suspect he will take that step comfortably.

MISSY FRANKLIN – Drawn 4 – 56kgs (MR 65) – Habib – Stidolph
3-y-o filly by Marchfield (CAN) out of a Thunder Gulch (USA) mare (R:10 W:1 P:4)

In May Missy Franklin won over 1000m, beating Pas de Deux and Mia Finola at level weights, then went off the boil, seemingly, until coming second to Mia Finola in the Fillies Mile in October when receiving 8 kgs. She ran in the Tote Free Handicap and finished last with no comforting explanation in the Stipes Report. To be frank, I have no idea what Missy Franklin might do.

RAIN SPIDER – Drawn 5 – 55kgs (MR 63) – Danielson – Stidolph
3-y-o gelding by Byword (GB) out of a Fort Wood (USA) mare (R:6 W:1 P:2)

Rain Spider won his second start, which just happened to be the 1200m Champion Juvenile Stakes. He looked all set to impress on that occasion but really hasn’t. Most of his racing has been in competitive company so don’t write him off completely.

OPAQUE – Drawn 1 – 52 kgs (MR 50) – McNaughton – Stidolph
3-y-o gelding by Ato – out of a Tamburlaine (IRE) mare (R:9 W:1 P:1)

Opaque won his first start in March, beating Missy Franklin, but has played the good sport role since then. He finished fourth in the 1200m Jacaranda Free Handicap in November, finishing in front of Rain Spider who was conceding 7.5 kgs. Rain Spider will give Opaque only 3 kgs on Sunday. However, the Ato gelding with 52 kgs on his back might still surprise.

The first race at Borrowdale Park on Sunday is due off at 13.00.

Photographs courtesy of Andrew Philip, Gavin McLeod and Zimbabwe Equine News.

The feature race, the 1100m Hachiman Sprint, Race 6, was won by Kingston Passage. Race 1: Emiliano, Race 2: Christofle, Race 3, Party In The Park, Race 4: Prairie Sky, Race 5: Designer Pot, Race 7: Adrenalina.