Trainers submit horses list for Oaks race

Mandla Moyo Horse Racing Correspondent
FIVE local based trainers have submitted their preferred list of horses to fight for a place in the Zimbabwe Oaks Listed race, the third leg Tripple Taira, set for Borrowdale Race Course on Sunday. The competition is 2 000m long and carries $8 000 in stakes money. A total of 14 runners are in the provisional list held by Mashonaland Turf Club. Leading this pack of trainers who has forwarded the highest number of entries is Gokhan Terzi.

Terzi, who has thrown into the ring six runners, will be hoping that all his equines sail through the two mandatory qualifying stages without any hassles before the big one.

Runners trained by Terzi include Belle Epoque merit rated 53, Betula Uber (70), Ladies First (59), Myths and Legends (54), Sky (52) and Uptown Girl (63). The trainer with the second biggest contingent is Bridget Stidolp who has put in the line of fire three nominations.

Carrying this stables hopes is the highest merit rated entry Duffi’s Call who stands at 85, Domboshava (55) and Princess Of Rock rated (35). Another trainer who is also itching for a fight is Amy Bronkorst after she put together two entries in the form of Piece of Pizzaz (47) and Sylvianna (50). Penny Fisher and Kirk Swanson are also in, with a single entry for Fisher and two for Swanson.

Chatou not rated and My It Girl are entries by Swanson while Fisher has gone for Racey J rated 67.

Meanwhile, in a fiercely contested 2000m race to determine the winner of the prestigious Castle Tankard race last weekend Rock The Country ridden by Jennie Greyling emerged the best conditioned equine after cruising to victory at Borrowdale race cource. Rock The Country cleared 2 000m in 1 minute 59.63 seconds to beat the next runner Mathematician by 0.50 lengths in a tightly contested race.

For a stunning performance Rock The Country galloped away $30 000 richer while the second bird to cross the line Mathematician delivered $10 000 to her stable.

The next three runners over the line also collected $6 000 (Windingo), $3 000 (Eurakilon) and $1 000 (Flax) respectively.

Multitude of fans thronged the giant arena to witness the running of the 2016 edition of Africa’s most prestigious horse racing competion and indeed they were not disappointed at the end of the race.

BORROWDALE ENTRIES FOR ZIMBABWE OAKS (L) – SUNDAY 22 MAY 2016

1. BELLE EPOQUE Gokhan Terzi 53

2. BETULA UBER Gokhan Terzi 70

3. CHATOU (ZIM) Kirk Swanson 0

4. DOMBOSHAVA Bridget Stidolp 55

5. DUFFI’S CALL Bridget Stidolp 85

6. LADIES FIRST Gokhan Terzi 59

7. MY IT GIRL (ZIM) Kirk Swanson 0

8. MYTHS AND LEGENDS Gokhan Terzi 54

9. PIECE OF PIZZAZ Amy Bronkhorst 47

10. PRINCESS OF ROCK Bridget Stidolp 35

11. RACEY J Penny Fisher 67