Curtain down at Borrowdale

Mandla Moyo
THE curtain finally came down last Sunday at the Borrowdale Race Course after the hosting of the Zimbabwe Challenge Grade (3) Open race.
Super Trouper trained by Gokhan Terzi emerged the winner after a bruising 1 450 metres long challenge race.
Super Trouper needed just 1 minute 26 seconds to clear the task in the process getting the better of a field of nine other runners to make it to the finishing post.

Mashonaland Turf Clubs Racing Manager Betina Gurajena, said action at Borrowdale will resume next month.
“We have come to the end of the year but the 2015/16 season is still on. Racing will resume on the 3rd of January 2016. The new programme is out, followers of the game can check with the MTC website,” said Gurajena.

The first half of the 2015/16 racing season kicked off on 4 September through to 13 December.
A total of 24 race meetings were witnessed, among them the OK Grand Challenge, the most followed event in the country, the ZNA and ZRP Charity races.

Along the way the sport took a six-week sabbatical break running from 26 July to 6 September.
Gurajena said the first half of the season was a good year for the game.

“The 2015 was a good year; we managed to organise all races as per schedule. We are hoping for a good 2016,” she said.

Zimbabwe sent a four-man team to Kenya for the Four Nation Jockey Challenge, which included the hosts, and the cream of the crop from South Africa, and Mauritius.

Team Zimbabwe, which was made up of Quinton Riddle, Kevin Derere and Brendon McNaughton, a rich blend of experience and youthful talent, returned home victorious.

A new competition was brought on board to spice up activities at Borrowdale in the form of the Commander Air Force of Zimbabwe Charity race.

A visiting horse from South Africa, Yer Maan ridden by six time Zimbabwe Champion jockey Quinton Riddle illuminated the giant Borrowdale arena after cruising to victory in several races.

During a stay that lasted close two months Yer-Maan spent less that a combined total of 10 minutes on the turf but managed to collect a total of $58,000 in prize monies, for winning the prestigious Castle Tankard Yer-Maan got $30 000, $24 000 for emerging as the top dog in the OK Grand Challenge race and $4 800 for coming out as the third best runner in the Republic Cup.

Out of the so called “Big three” races, two were delivered to his stable in ruthless style decorated by his trade mark, a delayed lighting charge towards the finishing line during the dying stages of the race.

Yer-Maan a six-year-old gelding the son of Jam Alley (AUS) was just a race short in achieving what no horse has achieved if only he had won the Republic Cup Race.

MTC and Sand Promotions signed marketing contract for beaming live races held at the race course including sending another feed via our own ZBC television.

According to a looking horse racing analyst Sheldene Chant the recent introduction of the big screen at Borrowdale should help draw a bigger crowd.

“All too often residents are surprised we are still racing here! I hope stands will soon be packed with enthusiastic racing fans. A race course needs people… and Borrowdale provides ample thrills and excitement. The setting is magnificent,” said Chant.

Sheldene Chant, however, notes with sadness that the Zimbabwe Derby and the Guineas race do not have a sponsor and hopes for things to change in 2016. Away from that followers of the sport are looking with much anticipation to another exciting second and final half of the season.