Castle Tankard Success
Zimbabwe’s biggest horseracing event, the Gr 1 US$50,000 Castle
Tankard over 2000m at Borrowdale Racecourse in Harare, turned into a
thriller on Saturday in front of a large and enthusiastic crowd who
lined the stand side rail five deep to cheer home their fancies.
The South African raider Yer-Maan, who is trained, owned and bred by
St. John Gray, stormed home under champion jockey Quinton Riddle to
collect the $US30,000 first prize. It was the four-times Zimbabwean
champion jockey’s second win of the big race, having won it for the
first time on the Kirt Swanson-trained Moon Horse back in 2008.
Another South African raider, The Alyson Wright-trained Warcraft,
started 18/10 favourite and led at a good gallop. He looked to have
the race won entering the final 200m. However, he suddenly hung
outward under a right handed whip and this allowed the closing in
Yer-Maan to see daylight. Yer-Maan seized the opportunity and took
off, scything through the gap between Warcraft and the gallant
Bridget Stidolph-trained local hope Lucky Sam to win by 1,25 lengths.
Lucky Sam stayed on for second ahead of Warcraft and then there was
1,75 lengths back to the Gokhan Terzi-trained Rock The Country.
Last year’s winner, the Amy Bronkhorst-trained Zimbabwean Horse Of
The Year Equina finished fifth ahead of the second favourite from the
St. John Gray yard Norgay.
Yer-Maan is the only stakes-winning progeny of Gray’s former Gr 1 SA
Classic winner Jam Alley. The athletic six-year-old chestnut gelding
hadn’t raced since finishing tailed off in the Gr 2 Victory Moon
Stakes in unsuitable soft going at Turffontein last November and
started at 12/1. He certainly appreciated the faster going on
Saturday and his late burst of speed impressed all and sundry.
The day was a huge success and the crowd thoroughly enjoyed
themselves under a glorious blue sky.
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