The Republic Cup is the last of the major Grade races at Borrowdale Park, with Equina having won the first two, the Grade One Castle Tankard and the Grade Two OK Grand Challenge under the stewardship of Karl Zechner.
Zechner will once again be in the saddle, as the four-year-old Silvinho filly, trained by Amy Bronkhorst and owned by Peter Moore, goes for the top prize to add to the $48,000 she has already won in the Tankard, the Challenge and the Champion Fillies Stakes.
Equina has already thrust herself into the history books by becoming the first filly to win both the Castle Tankard and the OK Grand Challenge in the same year. She became the fifth horse in history to do that, after King’s Threat in 1989, Gold Flame in 2002, Winter’s Night in 2010 and Grisham in 2011. Bronkhorst has managed to achieve this success in her first year as a trainer.
All in all, the Republic Cup has attracted a field of 17 of the best horses at Borrowdale Park, with the normal challengers’ Captain’s Tiger from the Alyson Wright’s stable and Madigan from the Kirk Swanson yard also in the line-up.
There is a place too for Menacing, who comes from South Africa. This horse made a forgettable start in Zimbabwe in both the Tankard and the Challenge, where he was not placed, despite racing regularly in South Africa.
The four-year-old son of Fearsome and the great Centenary, who created waves when running in Zimbabwe, has to improve. His record now stands at only three wins and six placings in 19 starts this season, with some of the races having been run in South Africa.
Menacing has been placed under reigning champion trainer Lisa Harris, who is also fielding Zimbabwe’s own Forty One, Luminous Love and the fast-improving Lucky Sam.
Lucky Sam, who came second behind Equina in the OK Grand Challenge and won the Bloodstock South Africa, presents the biggest threat to Equina’s dream of a treble.
The top horse in Zimbabwe in 2013, A King Is Born, was second in the Castle Tankard, but has not been all that impressive this season. The 1,900 metres should provide him with the distance to prove that he is still around, after he performed dismally in the OK Grand Challenge.
On top of A King Is Born and Captain’s Tiger, Alyson Wright also sends out the Argentina-bred Orbit War. At seven years, age is catching up with Orbit War and his record is not all that good. In 47 runs, the horse has managed only five wins and 11 placings.
Two of the other Borrowdale Park trainers, Sebastien D’Aquino and Ghokan Terzi, also make their contributions to the Republic Cup. D’Aquino contributes Double Bind, Ginepri, Star Dance and Australian-bred Royal Arrow, while Ghokan Terzi fields Approval Rating, Rock The Country, and Super Trouper.
A King Is Born, Menacing, Equina and Captain’s Tiger look like the horses to battle for the top honour.
Post published in: Sport