Approval Rating wins HIRB Gold Cup Sprint

Augustine Hwata Sports Reporter
THE four-year-old bare gelding, Approval Rating from the Gorhan Terzi yard, beat a field of 13 other horses to win the HIRB Gold Cup Sprint over 1 200m at Borrowdale, which was the feature event at the race course on Saturday. Formerly based in Kenya, Approval Rating came to Zimbabwe last year under trainer Nuno Nur who has since left the horse in the capable hands of young trainer Terzi.

With a draw of six, Approval Rating, cantered to the finishing line, 1.5 lens ahead of Alula Borelias by Lisa Harris from the Race Six.

Seasoned jockey Lance Pagel held the straps as the combination finished the sprint in 1 min 09.01 seconds and collected US$9 000 for their stable from the US$15 000 placed in stakes.

Quinton Riddle, aboard the Harris runner, came second while Terzi had a strong hand in the event as he saddled regular Borrowdale campaigner Super Trouper who finished in third place, a full lens behind Alula Borelias.

Brighton McNaughton took control of the horse while South African trainer Johan Janse Van Vuuren sent in Newton Power.

Now based in South Africa, Newton Power returned to where it all started with his comeback race at Borrowdale in September 2012, by winning with a comfortable 10.5 lens over Aqua Luna over a 1000m race.

Before winning the feature race with Approval Rating, Pagel had gone to the winners’ parade after he rode Sido (5) to first place in the Heritage Insurance Company Merit Handicap 1800m.

The event was carded as Race Two on the card and had 12 runners accepting to go to the stalls after Bobby Soxer was scratched as he was receiving a colic treatment. Sido finished 1.5lens ahead of Adriatic Sea (6) while leading trainer Harris also produced two winners on the day in Castle Hill in Race Seven and Butler Yeats in Race Three.

There was disappointment for some punters when Race Five, that had the largest acceptances for the day. was declared a no-start after the outside banks on the stalls for Oh My Gosh (L. Pagel), Queen of Eagles (Riddle) and Supa Dupa (Deon Sampson) opened quicker than the others giving the horses the advantage.

The next race meeting at Borrowdale will be the Zimbabwe Sprint on December 15 before the activities take a break for the festive season.