South African bred six-year-old Yer-Maan is going back home after a successful campaign at Borrowdale Park Racecourse.
By Michael Kariati
But just like Equina last season, he will be remembered as the ‘nearly man’ after coming close, but eventually failing to win the treble.
The son of Jam Alley from Australia and Cheers from the USA had a hugely successful debut at the home of Zimbabwean horse racings, but just like the five year old Equina, he won the Castle Tankard and the OK Grand Challenge but missed out of the Republic Cup.
Although racegoers are still talking with affection of the manner in which Yer-Maan dominated the Borrowdale Park Racecourse stage, the fact remains that he will be part of the ‘nearly men’ as he came so near but was still far from achieving the treble of winning all the major races — the Castle Tankard, the OK Grand Challenge and the Republic Cup.
It is a fact that when he returns to Borrowdale Park Racecourse next season, Yer-Maan will have a lot of followers although in comparison, the St John Gray gelding was far behind Amy Bronkhorst’s Equina in terms of achievement in the big three races.
The Quinton Riddle piloted horse was third in the Republic Cup while five-year-old Equina with Karl Zechner in control was even closer to the much-needed treble after coming second in the Republic Cup to Lucky Sam last season.
Both took $30 000 in the Tankard and $24 000 in the OK Grand Challenge, but while Equina took $8 000 for her second placing in the Republic Cup last season, Yer-Maan could only realise $4 800 after coming third behind Equina and Super Trooper. This puts Equina $3 200 ahead in stake money realised from the three major races. Considering that both horses are coming from South Africa, this is a lot of money when converted to that country’s currency.
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It is also a fact that Equina did not have the best of seasons this year, but the fact that she managed to win the Republic Cup as well as the Zimbabwe National Army Charity Handicap , as well as coming fourth in the OK Grand Challenge, shows that she still has a lot to offer.
St John Gray has declared that Yer-Maan, who campaigns regularly at Greyville Racecourse in Durban, will be back next season but it is folly to expect that the horse, which will be seven years old then, will be as dominant as he has been this season.
Just like Captain’s Tiger, Yer-Maan is getting older by the day while the younger generation and more importantly the likes of another of the Amy Bronkhorst findings, Thriller in Manila, are getting better with age.
The Kevin Derere piloted horse has been a vital contributor to the quartet in both the OK Grand Challenge and the Republic Cup after a strong challenge, coming second to Yer-Maan in the Challenge and fourth in the Republic Cup.
Although still only four, Thriller in Manila has an impressive record of four wins and six placings in only 13 races. More importantly is the fact that the son of Gharir is Zimbabwean bred and is under the grooming hands of Lawrence Tsurudzo at the Bronkhorst yard.
Another of Borrowdale’s rising star is Mehaba who missed the Triple Crown by a whisker. Although he did not do well in his first major race when he took part in the OK Challenge, Ghokan Terzi’s winner of the Zimbabwe Guineas and the Bloodstock South Africa needed to be there to give the likes of Yer-Maan and Equina a run for their money.
Unfortunately, racing has not been without its tragedies. One of the most distinguished jockeys and trainers Ginger Halfpenny passed on at the age of 65 in the United Kingdom last weekend. From an early age, Halfpenny was involved in racing, progressing from jockey to trainer and then to stipendiary steward.
Halfpenny was at his peak as a trainer in the 90s where his rivalry with Paul Muscutt and Mike Clemens saw racing in Zimbabwe reach its highest competitive stage. He won the OK Grand Challenge with Stay Alert in 1995 and was second with the same horse behind Sweden in 1997. Halfpenny was also a proud winner of the Castle Tankard with Haalem Park in 1996.
Since his retirement to the United Kingdom, Halfpenny remained a regular visitor to the MOTA bar at Borrowdale Park Racecourse and racegoer Ryan Skelton said Halfpenny was an absolute legend, not only in the racing game but in life in general. “What Ginger did for racing in Zimbabwe will never be forgotten — neither can he be replaced,” said Skelton.
