Blood and thunder

Mandla Moyo
IT will be a blood and thunder affair at Borrowdale Race Course this afternoon when Equina takes on a strong field of seven horses for the Champion Fillies Classic Stakes race over 1 800m.
The race is on at 3.05pm.
The fastest filly or mare at this year’s edition is set to walk away $4 800 richer while the second placed runner will get $1 600 leaving the third and fourth placed runners to collect $1 000 and $600 respectively.

Equina from the stable of Amy Bronkhorst will be ridden by battle hardened jockey Quinton Riddle and stands in a better position to win this demanding assignment after being entered as the highest rated runner at 90.

She is a winner of 11 competitions and has been placed six times from a total 29 races. The fact that she has broken the tape several times over similar distances, the last time being in July this year, puts her in a better position to record yet another win on the Borrowdale greens.

However, stiff competition is expected to be waged by Sean Chambers and his running mate Print The Pounds.
Print The Pounds, who trains under the tutelage of Bridget Stidolp, is rated 85 and is expected to give Equina a big run for her money.

It is also interesting to note that this horse has also taken several accolades over similar distances and beyond.
What will make this race even more exciting is that Print The Pounds boasts of better finishing timings over 1 800m compared to both the favourite, Equina, and many others within the field.

For that reason if jockey Sean Chambers gets his timing right, especially during the straight home turn then nothing can stop this runner from winning the competition.

After failing to come to the party a fortnight ago the Andrew Fortune factor will once again be subject to yet another bruising test at the racecourse.

This South African based pilot who has slowly turned the local race course into his favourite hunting ground stumbled a few weeks ago and failed even to garner a runners-up spot.

He will definitely come out with his guns blazing in his quest to correct that dismal performance this time on board Gentle Brook.

On a good day Gentle Brook can turn an ordinary race into a war zone. However, looking at the quality around him, then Fortune will have to pull out a trick or two from his sleeves in order to win.

Other horses to keep an eye on are Fig Jam another winner over 1 800m, Tallie Two, Diversify, Pretty Special and Second Guessing. When all is said and done fans are definitely in for a treat at Borrowdale Race Course this afternoon. There are 70 runners in all the seven races set for the day.

Tips for the main race:
1 Equina, 5 Print The Pounds, 6 Fig Jam, 7 Gentle Brook.