Bridget Stidolph saddled the first winner at Borrowdale Park in 2016 when Bullion Bay won the 1100m Maiden Plate, finishing clear of Copper Sky, Ladies First and Nemba Beach.
This was the Bankable (IRE) gelding’s first race in Zimbabwe. Brendon McNaughton was in the saddle, and Bullion Bay is owned by Scott Buchan, Neil Evans and Merlyn Chant. Colin Bird is the successful breeder.
Photograph Rosie Dorward
Hot favourite Windigo won the 1800m Novice Plate by two lengths, beating Slick, Al Cobalena and Sky. The Windrush gelding is owned by Colin Bird and he has now won both his starts at Borrowdale Park.
Assistant Trainer Thomas Mason and Willard Mujuru from the Swanson yard led the four-year-old gelding in. He was bred by The Alchemy and Francois Herholdt had the winning ride.
Road To Dubai’s triumph in the Hachiman Sprint at Borrowdale Park on Sunday was the cherry on the top for the Swanson yard. The stable sent out four winners during the afternoon.
Last time out Road To Dubai won the HRIB Gold Cup and victory in the Hachiman Sprint, albeit by a whisker, made him winner of two of the four legs in the Sprinters Series. He held on to beat a fast finishing Pacifica by .05 lengths.
The four-year-old son of The Sheik is owned by John Koumides and was bred by Scott Bros. Francois Herholdt was in the irons and he also piloted the other three Swanson winners.
Photograph: Gavin Macleod
ABOVE: Approval Rating (nearest the camera) and Pegwell Bay involved in a tight finish over 1000m on September 6. Photograph by Gavin Macleod.
The Hachiman Sprint to be run over 1100m at Borrowdale Park is the fourth and final leg of the Sprinters Series.
This began on September 6 with the 1000m AFZ Borrowdale Sprint, won by Approval Rating, and was followed by the 1200m HRIB Gold Cup where Road To Dubai scored.
Super Trouper won the third leg, the 1450m Zimbabwe Challenge, on December 13.
On Sunday Approval Rating and Road To Dubai return to action, together with Thriller In Manila, Picalilly, Pegwell Bay and Gentle Brook, all of whom made their presence felt at some time during the series.
Newton Power finished fifth to Super Trouper in the Zimbabwe Challenge, and although Nimble Dancer did not shape in the HRIB, two of his four wins were over the 1100m trip so he could do better here.
It is tempting to regard those already mentioned as main players but for the two unknown quantities, Atso’s Scheme and Pacifica, also in the line-up.
Atso’s Scheme won three races for Corne Spies at Borrowdale, from 1200m to 1800m, but he has not raced for a year. The four-year-old gelding is now in the Stidolph yard, is set to carry 59,5 kgs and Fanie Chambers has the ride.
I am sure the three-year-old filly, Pacifica, is here for a purpose. A daughter of Lecture (USA), she won three races in Gauteng from 1200m to 1450m, and this will be her first race in Zimbabwe. Andrew Fortune will be in the irons for Gokhan Terzi.
This may be a tough ask – Pacifica will carry 57.5 kgs and has mainly met fillies and mares previously – but watch the betting.
Terzi has a strong hand in this field of 10 as he also saddles Approval Rating, sure to be fancied despite top weight of 63 kgs, and Newton Power.
I expect all of Road To Dubai, Thriller In Manila, Nimble Dancer, Picalilly and Pegwell Bay to be in with a loud shout, so it will be a good race.
On November 28 Windigo won a 1600m Maiden Plate in breathtaking style, beating Promising by 9 lengths. The Windrush (USA) gelding runs at Borrowdale on Sunday in the 1800m Novice Plate and a repeat of his previous effort will make him hard to oppose.
All of Muhannad, Captain Grant, Rawedge and Al Cobalena could make a race of it on their day, but I see the two three-year-old fillies, Sky and Betula Uber as the main dangers.
Unfortunately Andrew Fortune is expected to put up 1 kg overweight on Sky.
BELOW:The Ideal World (USA) filly Betula Uber (nearest the camera) with Al Salaam. Photograph by Gavin Macleod.
Supa Challenge winning on HRIB Day, followed by Say So Tiger, and Jean’s Dancer. It’s By Jingo ran fourth. Photograph courtesy of Zimbabwe Equine News.
Lance Pagel and Supa Challenge will be hoping for a hat-trick in the 1700m Merit Rated 70 Handicap. The son of Soar With Eagles (USA) has done the meet and beat scenario with the majority of this field, but now has more to do.
His stable companion Wee Doch ‘n Dorris should pose even more of a threat over this shorter distance. It’s By Jingo will be up there, while Two Gun Kid and Jean’s Dancer meet Supa Challenge on slightly better terms. Those with a real weight advantage are Bankers Blues, River Waltz and Heron Boy.
The Swanson yard sends out bottom weight Confabulate, as well as Supa Challenge and Wee Doch ‘n Dorris. Francois Herholds has the ride on what could be a dark horse.
This will be an excellent race from a spectator’s point of view!
Frequent placers Bachata, Expensive and Thunder Fury come out again at Borrowdale Park on Sunday in the 1700m Maiden Plate, where Vaya Con Dios, Baumgartner, Finlay and Magnificent Mile will be lining up to spoil their fun.
Finlay finished in front of Thunder Fury last time out, and is likely to improve on that, but Baumgartner and Magnificent Mile are interesting runners.
Both these horses try the turn for the first time and the Ashaawes (USA) colt, Magnificent Mile, will very likely relish more ground.
Baumgartner, by Black Minnaloushe (USA) came second in his two starts up the straight and should not be left out of exotic bets.
Below: Expensive, with Kevin Derere in the irons. Brendon McNaughton rides the Jay Peg gelding on Sunday.
The first leg of the Pick 6 is rarely easy but the more one looks at Sunday’s 1200m Merit Rated 70 Handicap, the more difficult it seems.
Few of the 13 runners are without claims to fame – I am thinking about Gotago, Porterhouse, Sword Of Truth, Changa, Chestnut Girl and Mind Games – but Romantic Balladeer and Pente’s Daughter can also pick up their heels.
If you ignore Lost Island’s last run and concentrate on the two previous ones, he too comes into the reckoning. Apprentice Stalon Sawere rides on Sunday and will be claiming 4 kgs.
Don Vito, a three-time winner, races for the first time in Harare, and Brendon McNaughton rides for Gokhan Terzi. However, in the dim and distant past, The Mutineer, also now trained by Terzi, finished well ahead of Don Vito in Gauteng.
Only the brave will find a banker here.
Below: The Lizard Island (AUS) gelding, Lost Island, is seen here with Brendon McNaughton in the irons. Claiming Apprentice Sawere rides the seven-year-old gelding this time.
The first race at Borrowdale Park on Sunday is due off at 12 55 and it is the first of three events over the 1100m trip. Eight runners are carded for this Maiden Plate where Nemba Beach, Copper Sky and Ladies First look the pick.
Bullion Bay, a three-year-old Bankable (IRE) gelding, is having his first outing in Harare. He raced at Tuffontein and the Vaal from 1450m – 1600m for two places from 6 starts. Another newcomer to Borrowdale is the Gavin Macleod-trained Sand Storm, a four-year-old filly by Mullins Bay (GB) who will be having her first start.
Below: Nemba Beach with Nikki Sibanda aboard. Fanie Chambers rides for Bridget Stidolph on Sunday. Photograph Zimbabwe Equine News.
It gets tedious sitting on top of your tree waiting for the big day. So one of the Harare-based Christmas fairies took time-out to fly around Borrowdale Park this week.
She is seen here getting up close and personal with Lucky Sam while spreading some Christmas cheer.
We hope you all have a wonderful time on Friday and an especially great 2016. See you at the races on January 3.
We were racing at Borrowdale Park on Sunday and couldn’t have had a better day had we been at Ascot or Chantilly. It was packed with good racing but the feature event, the 1450m Zimbabwe Challenge, will give us something to talk about until racing resumes on January 3.
One can talk about cliffhanger or nailbiting finishes but this one was incredible – no other words will do. Super Trouper came out of nowhere to deny Thriller In Manila the victory in the last stride. Man of the moment was jockey Brendon McNaughton who said afterwards he knew at the 200m mark that Super Trouper could do it. Believe me, at that stage, no-one watching gave the son of West Man (USA) a glimmer of a chance.
At the presentation of the Zimbabwe Challenge Trophy part owner, Spencer Murray, said this was the best finish he had witnessed in 50 years. Hopefully the race video will soon be available so those who missed it can see for themselves.
Super Trouper was slow away and seemed to be dallying at the back of the field while Thriller In Manila (*Ryan Munger) went on to the pace with Pegwell Bay tracking. The Gharir gelding maintained the lead throughout the race, shaking off challenges in the process, while Super Trouper looked anything but threatening. I always keep an eye on Madigan (Herholdt) but he too seemed boxed in midfield, also without a prayer.
In the last few strides everything changed. Super Trouper grew wings and the screams from the Ipi Tombe Room were quite sensational as he put his nose in front . And there was Madigan going into the third box – don’t ask me how he got there because we only had eyes for the “Thriller” and Super Trouper at the death. Only 0.85 lengths separated the first three horses. Approval Rating came fourth and this was truly an amazing race.
Super Trouper is owned by Gengiz Goksel, Paul Rugg and Grant Littleford, as well as Spencer Murray, and trained by Gokhan Terzi. The 8-year-old gelding has now won 12 races, and was bred by Clifton Stud.
He was acclaimed the People’s Horse, by popular vote, at the end of the 2014/15 racing season – and we can look forward to more of the same in 2016.
GAVIN MACLEOD provided the photograph of the Zimbabwe Challenge Finish.
THE MAN OF THE MOMENT
When you see Brendon McNaughton (BELOW) and Super Trouper team up – watch out. They made headlines when winning the Zimbabwe Challenge at Borrowdale Park on Sunday, December 13, 2015 – having won the same race on December 14, 2014. Believe it or not Thriller In Manila was also beaten by a whisker into second place last year.
PHOTOGRAPH: Rosie Dorward
Brendon McNaughton
There is racing at Borrowdale Park on Sunday, and plenty of class in the feature, the Zimbabwe Challenge, which will be run over 1450.
Those that finished behind Road to Dubai in the 1200m HRIB Gold Cup may very well prefer this trip and this includes Lucky Sam, Approval Rating, Super Trouper, Pegwell Bay and Thriller In Manila.
Equina can never be overlooked, nor Eurakilon, neither of whom raced in the HRIB. Hard to choose but if I had to pick three it would be Equina, Super Trouper and Eurakilon – just because.
This photograph of Equina, by Gavin MacLeod, was snapped on July 26 when she won the 1400m Breeders Sprint with Apprentice Serino Moodley in the irons.
WISH THE ‘BABIES WELL’
The first juvenile race of the 2015/16 is due off at 13.20 at Borrowdale Park on Sunday. Ten two-year-olds are set to canter down to the start…with no previous form one can only wish them well and a safe return to the parade ring. Continue reading
Racing at Borrowdale Park in Harare - Zimbabwe 