By Mandla Moyo
It all systems go this Saturday July 12 when fifteen horses go head to head for The Republic Cup (Grade 3) Race set to be held at Borrowdale Racecourse.
This race open to all horses is 1900m long.
There is US$40 000 stake money. The winning connection will pocket US$ 24 000 while other places horses will each get$ 8 000, $4 800, $2 400 and $800 respectively.
Fifteen tried and tested runners will trade iron and leather in a battle for the honours in this prestigious event that is held at the race course every year.
Horses to keep track of in this race are Approval Rating, Madigan and Equina.
Approval Rating has eight wins and six place finishes from seventeen runs. Jockey Lance Pagel will direct the proceedings from the saddle in lane four.
According to statistics this is the horse to follow at this year’s edition of the Republic Cup.
Approval Rating from the stable of Gokhan Terzi has been pitted against some of the finest horses in business in the country and performed beyond expectations.
Some of those big names are Captain’s Tiger, the classic Equina and Two Buck to mention but a few.
From the stable of Kirk Swanson comes Madigan with jockey Sherman Brown on the irons.
Madigan has competed twenty three times, won eight times and placed seven times.
However, it is worrying to note that beyond 1700m this runner has struggled to impose itself.
Battle hardened Captain’s has also been thrown into the deep end in this competition. He has been drawn wide in lane nine and will be ridden by Champion Jockey Quinton Riddle.
On a good day this horse can beat any rival.
Long distance races of 1600m and beyond are ideal for this horse, complemented by the presence of Riddle on board; this seems but a winning connection.
In lane eight is where all the trouble lies in the form of Equina from the yard of Amy Bronkorst ridden by jockey Karl Zechner.
This is the horse to beat. From nineteen competitions this horse has won eight times and placed five times.
Though rated below the leading pack of Madigan and Approval Rating in races beyond 1600m and beyond this runner has always come to the party when it matters most.
To date this horse has won the Independence Race, the OK Grand Challenge Race, and the Castle Tankard Race among other high profile races.
Equina is the first filly to win this double (OK Grand Challenge and the Castle Tankard) and the fifth horse to win both the OK Grand Challenge and the Castle Tankard in the same year having been preceded by King’s Threat in 1989, Gold Flame in 2002, Winter’s Night in 2010 and Grisham in 2011.
Horses in the mold of A king is born ridden by Deon Sampson, Star Dance by Nicky Roebuck, Copper Bay by Kevin Derere and Butler Yeats by Nkululeko Sibanda must not also be ruled out.
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