BORROWDALE Park Race Course-based Rock the Country has gone down south to contest against the best South Africa has to offer at the much revered Vaal and Tuffontein Race Courses where he will be based for the next three weeks.
By Michael Kariati
The seven-year-old son of Weslem Winter and First Arrival will be accompanied by trainer Ghokan Terzi and will return to Zimbabwe just before the start of the 2015/16 season that begins on September 6.
The brown gelding, which was bred by the Hallmark Thoroughbreds, is hoping to turn around the fortunes on his not-all-that-impressive record of six wins and 10 placings in 33 starts and will have apprentice jockey Wesley Marwin to guide him during his stay at the more popular Vaal and Tuffontein Race Courses.
Marwin won the Champion Jockey title in Zimbabwe in the just-ended season and finished third overall in the jockey standings behind eventual champion jockey Karl Zechner, and Francois Naude.
The last time Rock the Country won a race was on February 8 when he beat Orbit War in a 2 000 metre event after closing at 8/1. Now he needs wins from the Vaal to retain his old band of faithfuls when he returns to his traditional Borrowdale Park racing venue.
Although he came fourth in the highly competitive Castle Tankard behind Yer-Maan, Lucky Sam and Warcraft, that was not enough to appease Rock the Country’s horde of followers who expected either a win or at least a placing.
Now he has been provided with the perfect stage to prove his mettle in his favourite distances of between 1 600 to 2 000 metres which are run regularly at the Vaal unlike at Borrowdale Park Race Course where racing in general is far and in between.
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However, Rock the Country’s first feel of the Vaal was not exactly a bed of roses. He struggled to finish sixth in the eight horse field for the It’s A Rush MR 86 Divided Handicap which was won by Leeuloop Jet with Jezero, and Africain close by.
Rock the Country managed to finish just ahead of Mai Thaiga and Antactic Call in a race in which the winning horse received R62 492.
Jezero got R19 995 with the third placed Africain getting R10 007. Africain was ridden by former Zimbabwe champion jockey Sherman Brown.
Fourth-placed Inala from the renowned Mike Azzie received R4 994 for his effort.
Another Zimbabwean trainer Paul Matchett also sent out Commissioner’s Street which was also ridden by Borrowdale Racecourse based Randal Simons. The race also featured renowned South African jockey Pierrie Strydom who rode Tiger Hotspur.
Apart from Rock the Country, Terzi has also taken with him three-year-old Demagogue and Princiled Man. Demagogue, who won two of his first three starts at Borrowdale Racecourse, also did not have a good debut when he raced at Tuffontein.
The Argonaut colt was carded in Race 4, the Merit Rated 74 Handicap over 1 000 metres where he finished out of the top four but is hoping for better fortunes ahead.
Terzi said the horses are settling well in their new surroundings and believes they will do well in the races that will come in their three-week stay.
