Trainer Gokhan Terzi had a wonderful Sunday afternoon at Borrowdale Park, saddling four winners.
The winning owners with Princeton Tiger.
He is owned by Spencer Murray,Paul Rugg and Grant Littleford and was bred by Wilgerbosdrift.
Photograph: Gavin Macleod
The five-year-old daughter of Jay Peg, Pegwell Bay, took the 1300m Sable Flyers (L) from Iron Lady at Borrowdale Park on Sunday. Andrew Fortune was in the irons and during the afternoon he guided three of his mount’s into the Winners Enclosure.
Pegwell Bay (Fortune) from Iron Lady (Herholdt).
Photograph: Gavin Macleod.
Almost every race at Borrowdale Park on Sunday includes at least one runner who featured at the last race meeting so it’s tempting to assume they will keep up the good work. This certainly applies in the main race, the US$ 8 000 Springvale House Sable Flyers (L).
Gentle Brook, second to Casey’s Dance in the 2014 Sable Flyers, carries top weight again. The distance of this race for fillies and mares has been increased from 1200m to 1300m, which doesn’t rule out Gentle Brook, but stable companion, Pegwell Bay, could very well be the main danger.
On September 6 both mares ran in the 1000m AFZ Charity Borrowdale Sprint won by Approval Rating, where Pegwell Bay, 1kg better off with Gentle Brook, was a close second. On Sunday Gentle Brook, who finished midfield last time out, will be giving Pegwell Bay an additional 3kgs.
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Approval Rating and Andrew Fortune lived up to expectations in the 1000m AFZ Charity Borrowdale Sprint at Borrowdale Park on Sunday when the Gokhan Terzi-trained gelding flew up to beat Pegwell Bay by 0.50 lengths in a thrilling finish.
The six-year-old son of Miesque’s Approval, bred by Scott Bros and owned by Mr S. Armstrong, carried 61.5 kgs and finished like an express train. Briefly there were concerns the top sprinter had “gone out the back door” but once he got his act together Approval Rating justified his 13/20 starting price and he is now a 10-time winner.
Picalilly and Thriller In Manila were quick out the stalls and onto the pace, and Pegwell Bay was right up there. In the closing stages it seemed Pegwell Bay would win, then along came Approval Rating, clearly back to his best. The track was fast and Approval Rating’s time of 56.62 seconds was not too far off the Course Record of 56.01 set by Sports Hero in July 2013, when carrying 55 kgs. Continue reading
APPROVAL RATING HAS STILL GOT WHAT IT TAKES
Mr S. Armstrong’s six-year-old gelding Approval Rating came with a storming finish to snatch victory in the 1000m AFZ Charity Borrowdale Stakes on Sunday.
The Miesque’s Approval (USA) gelding has returned to Borrowdale Park after campaigning in Gauteng for a year. One of South Africa’s leading jockeys, Andrew Fortune, was in the irons. He is trained by Gokhan Terzi and this was his tenth win. Wisdom Sawere is his groom.
Photograph: Gavin Macleod
Andrew Fortune Riding On Sunday
In-form jockey Andrew Fortune will be riding at Borrowdale Park on Sunday when racing resumes after a six-week break. He will be on a Gokhan Terzi trained runner in each of the seven races. It will be great to have this popular horseman in Harare but his presence at this particular race meeting doesn’t make finding winners any easier – unless we throw caution completely out the window and rely on the magic Fortune touch throughout.
Having looked at the Final Fields – and walked away from them, often – it seems even winning the Place Accumulator may be quite a feat.
Firstly the horses are coming back from a long break, with some having been off the course far more than six weeks; several runners have changed stables; apprentices claiming 4 kgs have been strategically placed; the going will probably be very much on top, and where there is an obvious choice there are often queries about the trip.
Former Borrowdale Park favourite, Approval Rating, is back in Harare for the main race, the AFZ Charity Sprint over 1000m, which is due off at 16.10. This winner of the Zimbabwe Guineas and the 1200m HRIB Gold Cup in 2013, last raced at Borrowdale in July 2014. For the entire 2014/15 season the Miesque’s Approval gelding competed at the Vaal and Turffontein for one win (1160m) and five places from 11 starts.
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It’S time to get out your record books and seriously study form because racing resumes at Borrowdale Park on Sunday after the annual six-week break.
Nominations went in last week and we hope to post the Final Fields later today.
Hurray….back to the drawing board and an end to boredom.
Gokhan Terzi’s charge Principled Man returns to racing at Turffontein on Saturday after two come-back runs in Harare.
The Windrush gelding won two races (1400m and 1450m) at this course, but moved to Zimbabwe after an unplaced run at the Vaal in November. He was placed in both his starts at Borrowdale Park and was finishing strongly when a close second to Road To Dubai over 1300m on June 28.
On Saturday he takes part in a 1400m Graduation Plate due off at 16 00. Apprentice Wesley Marwing retains the ride. Principled Man is drawn 1 and carries 60 kgs.
Zimbabwe’s Breeders Champion Cup winner, Rock The Country, is one of 8 runners in the seventh race at the Vaal tomorrow (Wednesday).
The It’s A Rush MR 86 Handicap is due off at 16.10 and will be run over 2000m. The seven-year-old son of Western Winter is drawn 3 and will carry 59 kg. He will be ridden by Apprentice Wesley Marwing.
Gokhan Terzi has taken three horses to compete in South Africa. The three-year-old, Demagogue, disappointed his supporters on Sunday when giving weight to older horses, in a 1000m sprint.
Photograph: Gavin Macleod
The Argonaut colt, Demagogue, will race at Turffontein tomorrow (Sunday). He is carded in Race 4, a Merit Rated 74 Handicap over 1000m, which is due off at 13.45.
There is no racing at Borrowdale Park until September 6 and trainer Gokhan Terzi has also taken Rock The Country and Principled Man to Gauteng where they will race over a period of three weeks.
Demagogue with Apprentice Wesley Marwing aboard.
This is a courageous move on Terzi’s part which will be watched with interest. With races few and far between at Borrowdale cross-border raids could be helpful, providing the horses run into the money.
Photograph: Gavin Macleod
Apprentice Norbert Takawira is still a 4 kgs claimer yet the best he can ride at is 56 kgs after claiming. This means that in order to utilise his full claim he has to take 60 kgs rides, which makes it difficult for him to get many.
Apprentice Norbert Takawira winning on Nugget Effect.
During the 2014/15 season Takawira rode 8 winners giving him a strike rate of 20%….and he received a Spey Bridge Special Award in recognition of this achievement.
Well done Norbert Takawira – keep up the good work in 2015/16.
Photograph: Gavin Macleod
Most years the Spey Bridge Panel makes a few Special Awards and for 2014/15 Casten Bakasa received one of them.
He began working at Belvedere Racecourse in 1951 for a trainer called Coffin Grey, and when Borrowdale opened in 1959 he moved there and looked after the first horse to win at the new course. This was Tower Bridge, ridden by Stanley Eyden, owned by Boss Lilford, and trained by Coffin Grey.
Casten Bakasa
Next he worked for Murray Lindley at Clouds End and Mogambo. Then back to the racecourse to join Michael Clements and later Vic Moore for a short while.
Casten was with the Noelene Peech yard for a number of years looking after a good filly called Peppermint, and when Noelene moved to Durban for a while he joined the Kirk Swanson yard, where he still is. He was the winner of the Champion Groom Award in 2004.
Casten is renowned for his grooming abilities and he takes great pride in his horses. He is also a keen photographer.
Photograph: Rosie Dorward
Racing at Borrowdale Park in Harare - Zimbabwe 