Zim bred Tallie sends bookmakers into hiding

Sport
BOOKMAKERS who placed Zimbabwean bred Tallie Two (8) at 9/1 for the Zimbabwe Republic Police Charity Stakes were sent into hiding after the three-year-old daughter of Soar With Eagle from the USA and Eco Life of Zimbabwe galloped her rivals off their hooves for the title.

BOOKMAKERS who placed Zimbabwean bred Tallie Two (8) at 9/1 for the Zimbabwe Republic Police Charity Stakes were sent into hiding after the three-year-old daughter of Soar With Eagle from the USA and Eco Life of Zimbabwe galloped her rivals off their hooves for the title.

By Michael Kariati

The bookmakers had doubted whether one of the two Zimbabwean horses in the race would stand the heat in a race that also featured Casey’s Dance (2) at 18/10 and Gentle Brook (1) at 19/10, but the three-year-old ran comfortably from the outside for her second title of the year.

The brown filly who had Brendon McNaughton to guide her took only 95,80 seconds to finish the 1 600 metre race, 0,50 lens ahead of Gentle Brook with Demitasse (3) in third position and overwhelming favourite Casey’s Dance in fourth position.

Those who were brave enough to place their bets for a totalisator win on Tallie Two, had US$6,40 coming their way for every dollar they placed at risk for a horse that is now running with alumites having started the season with steel shoes.

The filly’s win confirms the emergence of Zimbabwean horses as strong challengers for titles at Borrowdale Race Course this season following a second and third place finish for Captain’s Tiger and Forty One in the Zimbabwe National Army Charity Handicap.

The past few seasons have seen South African horses dominate racing in Zimbabwe and only last season South African filly Equina won all but one of the major races at the home of Zimbabwe horse racing taking to her owners in South Africa and more than US$80 000 in prize money.

Trainer Alyson Wright has so much faith in Tallie Two that she is promising more to come, “I am proud of her. She is a marvelous horse.

“Let’s hope we are going to see her run like that again a few more times,” said Wright.

Although she was not the favourite for the race, Tallie Two did not gush out much for punters in the swingers as her combination with Gentle Brook gave out US$3,70 and US$5,10 with Demitasse.

The trifector, a combination of the first three horses in their order paid out US$92,30.

Born on August 22, 2011, Tallie Two won on her debut on April 20, 2014, coming home 0,75 lens ahead of Latin Queen at that time ridden by Sherman Brown in a 1 100 metre race. She is well groomed by Joseph Ngororombe.

Punters were reeling from the start of the day as they were bombarded with obvious results which do not pay much. Sparkle with Speed who won the opening race only paid out US$4, and Atso’s Scheme who was on 17/10 in race two offered only US$3,60.

Young Diplomat was even lower after winning the third race of the day giving out punters US$2,90 while race four winner So Invictus was also at US$2,90.

Only Royal Arrow who won race five offered huge rewards. The totalisator for a win was US$32 with her combination in the swingers with Macchiato giving out US$22, the highest payout for the day.

The trifector was US$2 810 while the quartet paid out US$9 673. Rawedge the race six winner was the lowest in the pay outs giving out US$2,50.

The next race will be on Sunday.