The Sunday News
Mandla Moyo Horseracing correspondent
IT’S all systems go this afternoon at Borrowdale Race Course where eight carded horses battle for the 2 400 metres Zimbabwe Derby race, the third and final leg of the Triple Crown. The competition slotted in as Race 6 gets off the blocks at 3.15pm. The fastest four runners to arrive home will each get $4 800, $1 600, $1 000 and $600 according to their order of merit.
All the eight, three-year-old horses in this race made up of six males and two fillies will be loaded ready to explode, but only one of them will be crowned the best upcoming thoroughbred runner in 2016.
Much is expected from Brendon McNaughton and his running mate Mathematician rated 88 and saddled by Trainer Bridget Stidolp. From a total of eight races Mathematician has won twice and placed twice.
With each passing race, this bird seems to be getting better. This has been evidenced by its impressive record between 1 200m to
2 000m.
Mathematician was the first runner home during the Bloodstock South Africa race over 2 000m, the second leg of the Triple Crown in March this year.
A closer look at its statistics indicates that Stidolp has been indeed conditioning him for the big one. Can he finally come to the party this time around and bump into some rich pickings? Let’s wait for the stall gates to open!
However, the fact that he did not take part in the Guineas Trial race means for the second year running there will be no winner of the ultimate test of the thoroughbred horse, the Triple Crown.
Only Super Good and Betula Uber have taken part in all the three legs albeit with mixed fortunes.
Jockey Fanie Chambers will saddle Super Good another one by Bridget Stidolp. Super Good has a merit rating of 80 coming into this competition.
This runner has been given the leeway to make as much noise as it can from lane 1. Even though Super Good has a one hundred percent career record of 1win and seven place finishes he lacks that ability to kill a race as a contest.
Considering that Super Good lost to Mathematician over 2 000m in March and will square up against the same horse among others further complicate things for him here. Not only that, this time around he has to go 400m further.
Trainer Gokhan Terzi will be banking on Finlay ridden by Lance Pagel to cause a few upsets this afternoon. This colt racing from lane seven and is rated 66, has managed to win once, placed four times from five races.
Of late Terzi has been deploying him more demanding assignments in terms of distance probably as preparation for this one. However, can Terzi return back to the stables with a smile on his face? Only at the end of the race can the question be answered!
Punters cannot afford to ignore Slick, the most experienced equine from this pack. Slick has been in the trenches twenty four times, winning just once and finishing as a runner up eight times. If jockey Chase Maujean and his running mate strike the right cord just in time, their rivals could be in for a rude awakening.
Other horses capable of spoiling the party are Magnificient Mile (64), Slick (58), Betula Uber (60), and Ladies First rated 59.
Meanwhile, MTC in conjunction with Delta Beverages have unveiled the provisional list of horses for the most prestigious horse racing completion in the land, The Castle Tankard Grade (1) set for May 7 at Borrowdale race course. This event carries a cool $50 000 in stakes money. What is magical about The Tankard is its ability to lure the big guns from across the border in South Africa.
Runners fighting for a place in the final are Equina, Eurakilon, Fah Fee, Flax, Glorious Jet, Lava Flow, Lucky Sam, Mathematician, Merhaba, Pacifica, Penhaligon, Print The pounds, Rock The Country, Silva Hawk, Super Trouper, Tallie Two, Whiteline Fever and Windigo.
