The Sunday News
Mandla Moyo Horse Racing Correspondent
THE most prestigious horse racing competition in Africa, The Castle Tankard 200 metres race slated in for 7 May at Borrowdale race course is finally here. After weeks of intensive preparation MTC has released an impressive list of 14 horses that have been accepted to canter post wards to determine the winner of the 2016 Edition of this competition.
The winner of this year’s edition will gallop away $30 000 richer while the second runner home will get $10 000.
The next three runners over the line will each collect $6 000, $3 000 and $1 000 respectively. This is an open series event where age is nothing but just a number. Talent is what matters.
Leading this pack awash with class is the bookmakers favourite South Africa-based Flax with a merit rating of 112. It is probably the first time in so many years that fans will get to witness a horse ranked 112 in action at Borrowdale.
Eurakilon ridden by jockey Lance Pagel, trained by Gokhan Terzi is next at (95). It will be interesting to see how this local based runner will fare against the big boys from South Africa.
Another runner that has been thrown into the deep end is Mathematician merit rated 88, the winner of the Zimbabwe Derby Grade (3) a fortnight ago.
By winning the Derby, Mathematician graduated as a three year with flying colours for that reason a lot will be expected from him going forward.
Terzi has also opted to saddle Pacifica (92), Rock The Country (84) and Merhaba. On a good day these horses are potential race winners.
Not to be left out is Bridget Stidolp who will look up to Lucky Sam (90), Print The Pounds alongside Mathematician for an accolade or two.
Vetarn trainer Kirk Swanson is planning to raid the winner’s podium with Silva Hawk (90) and Windingo.
Trainer Penny Fisher has two representatives in Lava Flow (83) and Tallie two (82), while Equina will the way for the Amy Bronkhorst stable after coming out as the only acceptance from that yard.
Fah Fee is also in from the yard of Ormood Ferrar, and the two jetted in from south Africa a few days ago and will be hoping to leave behind lasting impressions by winning here.
The arrival of the South African based contingent of both trainer and horses brings in an exciting dimension to local horse racing.
It will be more like a Limpopo battle pitting South African based teams against the local based ones.
Also considering that since the beginning of the year local based runners have been battling amongst themselves day in day out, this opposition from outside the country will offer them a different ball
game altogether.
From the trainers side it is also them same as trainer will be eager to gauge their works against other countries taking part.
Horses that have sailed through are Flax, Eurakilon, Lucky Sam, Silva Hawk, Equina, Pacifica, Fah Fee, Mthematician, Print The Pounds, Rock The Country, Lava Flow, Tallie Two, Windigo and Merhaba.
BORROWDALE PARK – SATURDAY MAY 7, 2016
FINAL FIELD FOR CASTLE TANKARD (Grade 1) Open/5th leg Open Series Stakes $ 50,000 2000m ; 1st $30,000, 2nd $10,000, 3rd $6,000, 4th $3,000, 5th $1,000
1 4 FLAX 112 *C Habib Bridget Stidolph
2 6 EURAKILON 95 L Pagel Gokhan Terzi
3 8 LUCKY SAM 90 K Zechner Bridget Stidolph
4 10 SILVA HAWK 90 F Herholdt Kirk Swanson
5 13 EQUINA 89 ………….. Amy Bronkhorst
6 5 PACIFICA 92 ………….. Gokhan Terzi
7 2 FAH FEE 88 …………… Ormond Ferrar
8 7 MATHEMATICIAN 88 B McNaughton Bridget Stidolph
9 9 PRINT THE POUNDS 88 S Chambers Bridget Stidolph
10 12 ROCK THE COUNTRY 84 …………… Gokhan Terzi
11 14 LAVA FLOW 83 R Munger Penny Fisher
12 3 TALLIE TWO (ZIM) 82 …………… Penny Fisher
13 1 WINDIGO 79 ………….. Kirk Swanson
14 11 MERHABA 72 K Derere Gokhan Terzi
