Bridget Stidolph saddled the first two horses past the post in Sunday’s 1200m ZNA Charity Jacaranda Free Handicap at Borrowdale Park.

Butchie Boy, finished a length in front of his stable companion, Flanders, who was giving the winner 3 kgs. The Crusade (USA) gelding has now won twice and been placed five times in 7 starts. He is owned by Sunmark Racing Syndicate (Nominee Mr R.E. Davenport) and was bred by Mr R. Fitzgerald.

Brendon McNaughton was in the irons.

Third place went to Sail From Sibaya, while Nedo Nadi disappointed his supporters this time around, finishing four lengths behind Butchie Boy.

Congratulations to the winning connections.

Wylde Style with Evert Pheiffer in the irons.  The versatile filly will be ridden by Kevin Derere on Sunday.

The 1200m HRIB Gold Cup – crème de la crème of Zimbabwe’s sprints – is set for December 2. Most connections of runners in Sunday’s 1100m MR 95 Handicap will have this on their minds.

This classy field includes Comanche Brave (joint 2016/17 Horse Of The Year and Champion Older Horse); Champion Sprinter Road To Dubai; Sheik’s Brashee, never to be left out over 1100m; rising star Super Good, and versatile Wylde Style going for a ninth victory. Although I have not mentioned Coachella, Cabinda, El Gallo and Life Is Good, this is mainly because it gets so complicated. All except Life Is Good have fairly recent sprint form.

If I were to restrict a quartet to five horses I would box Sheik’s Brashee, Road To Dubai, Coachella, Super Good and Wylde Style.

This could be horribly wrong because as I keep saying – ad nauseam – weight counts.

Racing begins on Sunday at 12.25 pm. This mad dash to the wire is due off at 15.15.

The daughter of Ideal World (USA), Betula Uber, seen here  winning the 2016 Breeders Fillies Mile with Wes Marwing in the irons.  Ryan Munger will be riding on Sunday.

The stayers come out in force at Borrowdale Park on Sunday for the MR 65 Handicap over 2200m.  Most of the seven runners have claims to fame beyond 2000m but the four-year-olds, Flasher On The Run (60kgs) and Crystalline (57.5 kgs), have yet to prove they can match it with older horses such as Rawedge (58.5 kgs), Betula Uber (58,5 kgs) and Baumgartner (55.5 kgs).

Philanthropy, also four, has yet to race further than 1800m so, with 55 kgs and Fanie Chambers aboard, is probably the dark horse in this line-up. Although Ladies First (59 kgs)  has not won beyond 1800m, this Silvano (GER) mare has featured in races up to the Derby distance.

This will be Rawedge’s first outing since June 25.   We all know this five-year-old Ravishing gelding loves to stay all day and, if racing fit, I will be surprised if either of his stablemates, Flasher On The Run and Baumgartner  – or anyone else for that matter – can beat him.

Betula Uber is bred to stay and, as a three-year-old, ran second to Duffi’s Call in the 2000m Zimbabwe Oaks, and second to Mathematician (four lengths back) in the 2400m Zimbabwe Derby.

Both Flasher On The Run and Crystalline were prominent in the 2016/17 Classics….The Flasher ran second behind Solinski in the Bloodstock South Africa 2000, and third to Solinski in the Derby. Crystalline shed her maiden certificate over 1800m, ran second to Solinski in the Oaks, and fourth to the daughter of Fencing Master (GB) in the Derby.

This race is due off at 13.35 pm on Sunday,  Don’t miss it.

Photograph by Andrew Philip. Sail From Sibaya with Sherman Brown aboard. Kevin Derere rides on Sunday.

If you are looking at numbers it is a disappointing line-up for the 1200m ZNA Charity Jacaranda Free Handicap at Borrowdale Park on Sunday.

However this small field includes Flanders, back up the straight, and Butchie Boy, who tries and would have won more races if not constantly taking on Flanders…

Bridget Stidolph has a strong hand with this pair – they are certainly the most experienced runners. Flanders has won four of his five starts in Harare, finishing third last time out behind Peggson and Butchie Boy over 1600m.

This was the only time Butchie Boy has finished in front of his stable mate, usually settling for second place, but he will be receiving 3 kgs from Flanders now – which could make a difference. In the Champagne Stakes, run over 1450m,  Butchie Boy finished within 0.05 lengths of Flanders at level weights.

Kirk Swanson fields Nedo Nadi, winner of both his starts, and Sail From Sibaya, a winner and placed once from four starts. Both these three-year-olds will have weight on their side, which makes things interesting. Nedo Nadi has raced against Butchie Boy and Sail From Sibaya before, but has never met Flanders, the Champion Juvenile of 2016/17.

Ezekial, following up on his quite surprising victory in the 1450m MR 53 Handicap on October 8, won again at Borrowdale Park on Sunday.

This time the son of Soar With Eagles (USA) was running in the 1800m Equina MR 55 Handicap where he beat dead-heating Philanthropy and Red Savage by 0.75 lengths.

Bred by Sunmark Thoroughbreds in Zimbabwe, Ezekial is a five-year-old gelding who has now won three races and been placed twice from 8 starts. He is owned by Debra Swanson and John Koumides, trained by Kirk Swanson, and Francie Herholdt was in the irons.

Well done, everyone.

Photograph by Gavin Macleod

The Century Stand (AUS) colt, Silver Buck – third to stable mate Nedo Nadi in his first outing – won the 1200m Solinski Maiden Plate at Borrowdale on Sunday.

Misterioso was 0.75 lengths behind, then Domenico Angelo and the first-timer, Historic.

Trained by Kirk Swanson and ridden by Francois Herholdt, Silver Buck is owned by Messrs D.K. Ward, G. Carter, S.P. Gorringe and V. Patel, Mrs P.J. Lewis, and Mr P.D. and Mrs U.A. Gorringe. The colt was bred by Sarahdane Stud.

Congratulations to the winning connections.

Perfect Grace has not carried 52.5 kgs for some time and the six-year-old Antonius Pius (USA) gelding made the most of his light weight, winning the 1800m Mathematician MR 80 Handicap on Sunday by two lengths. David’s Flower, Kevin Barry and Jay Kay Two filled the minor places. 

Bred by Highlands Farms Stud, Perfect Grace is owned by Craig Danckwerts, Debra Swanson, Gary Carter, Paula Lewis and Paul and Ursula Gorringe. Francois Herholdt was riding for Kirk Swanson.  Congratulations to the winning connections.

Photograph by Gavin Macleod.

The Kirk Swanson and Francois Herholdt combination worked like a charm in the first four races at Borrowdale Park on Sunday.

Shepparton won the 1200m Comanche Brave Merit Rated 65 Handicap, followed by Silver Buck (1200m Solinski Maiden Plate), Perfect Grace (1800m Mathematician MR 80 Handicap) and Ezekial in the 1800m Equina MR 55 Handicap.

What a day.

The winner was chased home by Zita (1 length behind), then Phantom Major and Amas Amat.

Lightly raced Shepparton has now won twice and been placed three times in seven starts for owner Christopher Peech. By Fencing Master (GB) the four-year-old gelding was bred in Zimbabwe by Rumbavu Stud. Congratulations to everyone concerned.

The closest finish at Borrowdale Park on Sunday came in the last race – the 1000m Winter’s Night MR 49 Handicap – when Gateway Gamble went down to Lady Carina by 0.50 lengths. Switchblade and Megagram also finished in the money.

Trained by Penny Fisher and with Ryan Munger in the irons, Lady Carina has now won two and been placed 5 times from13 starts.

This four-year-old filly by Miesque’s Approval (USA) was bred by Scott Bros. She is owned by Alex, Penny, Natalie, Alistair and Ken Fisher, plus Matt Charlton and Bruce McLauchlan. Congratulations to all the connections.

Knuckleball has quit the Maiden Plates at the sixth time of asking. The son of Curved Ball (AUS) won the 1600m A King Is Born Maiden Plate at Borrowdale Park on Sunday, giving trainer Amy Bronkhorst and jockey Randall Simons the first of two winners.

Owned by Mr V. Gappah, Mr R.H.S. and Mrs P Beattie, and Mr D. H. and Mrs J.L. Cocksedge, the three-year-old gelding beat Atlantic Bijoux by 2.50 lengths. Then came Blue Label and Business Jet. The winner was bred by Clifton Stud.

Congratulations to all the connections.

Rising star Peggson, trained by Amy Bronkhorst and with Randall Simons in the irons, performed perfectly in the Three-Year-Old Mile at Borrowdale Park on Sunday.

By Jay Peg out of a Tara’s Hall (SNL) mare, Peggson played a waiting game which was all over once he made his move and drew clear of the field.  Butchie Boy finished two lengths back, followed by Flanders and Sweet Tea.

Peggson has now won two of his five starts and seems likely to make his presence felt in the months ahead.  This bay colt is owned by Messrs A. Ackhurst, G.S. Knowles, A.P. Nydam, S.W. Shutt and Amy Bronkhorst. He was bred at Hemel ‘n Aarde Stud.

Congratulations to all the winning connections.

Philanthropy with Fanie Chambers up, runs in the competitive Equina MR 55 Handicap on Sunday. Photograph: Gavin Macleod.

Ezekial wowed watchers at Borrowdale Park on October 8 when winning a 1450m MR 53 Handicap by six lengths, beating Goose Green, Detente and Megagram.

The son of Soar With Eagles (USA) out of a Sobieski (USA) mare, was having his first outing since July 8. Maybe he enjoyed this trip, maybe it was just his day.

In any event the handicapper has got hold of Ezekial, he has moved from a Merit Rating of 39 to 47, and it is fair to say he faces stronger opposition in the 1800m Equina MR 55 Handicap on Sunday.

Of the 10 carded runners only Al Salaam (12.85 lengths back) faced Ezekial over 1450m. Al Salaam was giving the winner 7 kgs, and Ezekial only receives 2 kgs here.

This is a very competitive field which includes Wee Doch ‘n Dorris, Philanthropy, Finlay, newcomer Red Rebel, Viking Castle – and more.

Try a Quartet.