The Sunday News
Mandla Moyo
THE curtain finally came down at Borrowdale Racecourse for the year 2018-19 racing season yesterday when stables converged for the Champion Juvenile Stakes race, the last competition on the programme this year.
According to the programme pushed out by Mashonaland Turf club through their racing manager Betina Gurajena, stables will retreat for a six-week break before action resumes for the 2019-20 season.
“We have had a fantastic season with little challenges here and there but overall we are happy with our activities for the year.
“As we look ahead we hope for another fruitful year at Borrowdale which is due after the six-week break.
“In due course once we have rested preparations for the 2019-20 season will commence as per our programme.
“The ZRP Handicap which was slated in for this year has been moved forward to next year while in terms of races there are no new races but just the traditional ones we have always held over the years,” said Gurajena.
During this spell trainer Bridget Stidolph has been the highest performer sending out a number of winners in both major races as well as minor ones.
Substantial sums of glittering trophies in the domestic calendar occupy her display cabinet as a result of the exploits by runners under her stable.
The major in her cabinet being the most followed 1 800m OK Grand Challenge race delivered to her by the flying Simona directed by Calvin Habib held on 2 June. Being a prestigious event, it put a smile on a number of people’s faces. This has been made possible by world class pilots like Brendon McNaughton, Ryan Munger alongside others of course.
Not to be left out are her counterparts Kirk Swanson in conjunction with Penny Fisher who also had their fair amount of sunshine making a number of trips to do the honours in the parade ring.
There was also the Triple Crown race dubbed the ultimate test of the thoroughbred runner which had fans guessing its outcome from the running of the first series up to the third and final series.
The Triple Tiara series was also held as part of the annual races on the domestic calendar the gruelling 2 000m as well as beyond featuring Zimbabwe, Bloodstock South Africa 2 000m plus the 2 400m Zimbabwe Derby.
A total of sixteen race meetings have come and gone featuring a number of supporting races to spice up the day for the fans.
Meanwhile one of the iron ladies of horse racing Fisher has decided not to renew her trainer’s licence for the 2019/ 20 season.
Yesterday she sent out her last runners, to mark the end of an illustrious career in racing, the nine events carded were named after Penny as well as some of her winners.
Fisher started as assistant trainer to Major Jack Perry way back but she was part of the scene before that.
When she finally graduated she sent out a lot of “noise makers” off the pitch which earned her respect from her peers as well as the horse racing community in general and for that reason she will be greatly missed.
