A classy field of 15 horses including 2017 winner Comanche Brave have been nominated for the 2 000-metre Castle Tankard to be run at Borrowdale Park Race Course on May 5, with the final field set to be unveiled tomorrow at the home of Zimbabwean horse racing.
BY MICHAEL KARIATI
The South African horse, who won the 2017 title ahead of Royal Honour and Mathematician will this time be under the guidance of Bridget Stidolph after winning the title when being trained by Army Bronkhorst.
Mathematician, who along with Comanche Brave and Ashton Park are the only three horses who were in the 2017 line-up who have been nominated for the 2018 edition, is seeking to atone for the missed chance after coming second when heavily favoured to win the 2017 outing.
For two years running Mathematician has finished second after falling behind to Rock The Country in 2016 before the defeat to Comanche Brave in 2017, and failure again this year will not do his reputation any good.
The top notch field for the 2018 chapter of the Castle Tankard also includes Finchatton from the Gokhan Terzi stable as well as Kilrain who is trained by Mike de Kock in South Africa.
All in all, Bridget Stidolph and Penny Fisher contribute the highest number of horses in the nominations with Stidolph also adding Eleven Point, Life is Good and Simona on top of Comanche Brave and Mathematician.
Fisher also fields five — Ashton Park, Kevin Barry, Knuckle Ball, Master Switch and Master ‘N Commande. There are places too for Kirk Swanson’s Armsterdam, Heir Line and Phantom Major.
- Chamisa under fire over US$120K donation
- Mavhunga puts DeMbare into Chibuku quarterfinals
- Pension funds bet on Cabora Bassa oilfields
- Councils defy govt fire tender directive
Keep Reading
The final field, the weights and the draw for the May 5 race will be unveiled tomorrow, as well as the jockeys who will partner the horses in what looks like an appetising race.
The Castle Tankard, which is in its 56th year, is the oldest sponsored horse race in Africa and the biggest and only Grade One race in Zimbabwe.
The race is sponsored to the tune of $50 000 with the winning horse taking home $30 000 for his combinations to share. There is also $10 000 for the second placed horse and a $6 000 for the horse that comes third. The sponsors have been generous extending $3 000 for the horse that finishes fourth.
