Amsterdam for the Tankard
Harare - With the scratching of Ashton Park, Amsterdam looks the runner best weighted to win the 56th renewal of the Castle Tankard at Borrowdale Park today. With lesser fancied Leven Point also withdrawn, just eight horses will jump from the 2000m mark.
It’s pleasing to see the Mike de Kock stable supporting the ailing racecourse with his entry Kilrain, to be ridden by MJ Byleveld. This six year old son of Dynasty has very good recent form and looks hard to oppose, although if the form book is accurate, Amsterdam, with Greg Cheyne up, has him beaten at the weights.
These two met at the Vaal in January over the same trip, when the latter, in receipt of 2k, was a length to the good of the De Kock raider. Both have won again since that day but Kilrain was subject to the universal six-point rating increase of South African racehorses on 1 March, a disadvantage Amsterdam escaped, having already moved up north by then.
In view of this, Kilrain finds himself a further 1.5kg worse off with Kirk Swanson’s Amsterdam, and I am sure the local stable are feeling very confident about their chances of bombing the raider.
Amsterdam, however, has not been out since 25 February when making his Zimbabwe debut in the Ipi Tombe Stakes.
He was less than a length behind the winner that day, an incredible run considering the weight-for-age conditions of the race. He has missed both the Independence Trophy and the Breeders Champion Cup and his well-being and fitness must be taken on trust.
The Swanson stable also sends out Phantom Major (Francois Herholdt), an optimistic entrant at the weights. Although this lightly raced son of Sarge has decent form, he is 3.5kg under sufferance and banking the big cheque is a tough ask for him.
Kilrain has been in the care of Penny Fisher since his arrival in Zimbabwe on Monday. By all accounts he has settled in well and his participation will partly make up for the stable’s disappointment of the late scratching of Ashton Park.
The stable is in fine form at present but their own hopes are left in the hooves of Master Switch (Wayne Agrella) whose local trio of runs are a little disappointing.
He also met Amsterdam in Gauteng in January and was beaten just under three lengths by the Swanson runner, conceding 6.5kg.
The weight credit has been trimmed to 3.5 kg for today’s event and it is therefore safe to assume wherever Amsterdam finishes, Master Switch should not be too far behind him.
Bridget Stidolph sends out four runners and it would appear stable hopes are pinned on last year’s winner Comanche Brave with Sherman Brown up. It will be harder for him this year, as he is 5kg higher in the handicap but he is full of confidence, coming off a good win in the Breeders Champion Cup at the end of March. He should be included in all bets along with stable companion Simona (Jarryd Penny).
She is 1.5 kg under sufferance and therefore looks an unassuming entrant. However, she has been crying out for this trip and with a decent pace likely to be set, she should be included, in spite of her weight disadvantage.
Mathematician (Brendon McNaughton) has tumbled down in the handicap and with the old belief that horses lose form but not their ability, constantly buzzing around, it would come as no surprise to see this talented gelding back in the winner’s enclosure.