What made the situation even worse was the fact the difference in class between the Zimbabwean horses and those from South Africa as the closest Zimbabwean horse Captain’s Tiger was way back in the field in third place with another South African horse Ginepri in second place.
This is despite the fact that the favourites for the title, Yer-Maan, Baracah, and Emperor Augustus from South Africa were scratched on the eve of the race following recommendations by a veterinary surgeon.
The last time a Zimbabwean horse won this Grade One race was way back in 2010 when Winter’s Night then the darling of Borrowdale clinched the event. Since then it has been the celebration of horses from the south with Grisham winning in 2011 and Code Rock last year.
Ironically, Winter’s Night had to withdraw from this year’s Castle Tankard due to injury.
Although trainer of A King Is Born is Zimbabwe’s Alyson Wright she too no longer resides in Zimbabwe as she is now based in South Africa where horse racing is more competitive and more lucrative unlike in Zimbabwe where the stakes are only higher in the Castle Tankard and the OK Grand Challenge.
For winning the contest A King Is Born took to South Africa the $30 000 on offer for the overall winner with $10 000 for the second best horse also going to South Africa. For here effort, Captain’s Tiger which was the top weight in the race in the form of 60kgs Sherman Brown won $6 000 for his owners.
With the Castle Tankard gone, attention shifts to the next major event, the OK Grand Challenge and the Mashonaland Turf Club has confirmed there will also be a huge presence of South African horses with the likes of Emperor Augustus, Yer-Maan and Baracah who missed the Tankard likely to be in contention this time around.
Post published in: Sport