None of the Zimbabwean horses in the field, Captain’s Tiger, Final Fling, and Pleasant Valley, was in the top four of a race dominated by foreign horses. Winning horse Ginepri was bred in Argentina.
Also disappointing was the fact that Zimbabwe fielded only three horses in a field that had initially attracted 17 and was reduced to 16 horses after South African-bred Candymancan was scratched at the last minute.
The race attracted nine horses bred in South Africa, three from Argentina and one from Australia. It was even worse in the Grade One Castle Tankard in which Zimbabwe fielded only two horses – Captain’s Tiger and Pressure. The rest of the 15 horse-field came from Australia, South Africa and Argentina.
Ginepri scooped first prize in the $40,000 OK Grand Challenge, with Madigan, A King Is Born (both SA) and Choisir (Argentina), occupying the other three places, in that order. This was almost a repeat of the Castle Tankard event, where A King Is Born got the $30,000 winner’s prize, with Ginepri coming second.
The highest-placed Zimbabwean horse was Captain’s Tiger, from the Kirk Swanson yard. Mashonaland Turf Club chairman, Brian Van Black, admitted during the final acceptances of the Castle Tankard that the number of horses in Zimbabwe was dwindling, but said they were doing their best under difficult financial circumstances.
Observers pointed out that Zimbabwe’s reliance on foreign horses to sustain its racing industry was not good for the country, as the sport was slowly moving towards extinction. There is need for more Zimbabwean horses than those from any other country in the major feature races, in order for our racing to argue that it still does exist.
Post published in: Football