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ROCK AND ROLL . . . Last year’s Castle Tankard provided a thriller and this year, expectations are high that Borrowdale Park will be rocking to another classic race

Takudzwa Chitsiga Sports Reporter
A STRONG 14-horse field will line up in Africa’s oldest sponsored horse racing event, the Castle Tankard, at Borrowdale racecourse with South African thoroughbred import — Flax — expected to dominate this afternoon.

The Castle Tankard is the only Grade One rated horse race on the local scene and it will be Flax, whose rating is high, who will be the favourite.

The nine-year-old son of Silvano, carries the weight on the turf against the country’s most promising runners who include Equina and Eurakilon.

Six-year-old gelding Eurakilon is a serious contender who can overshadow the favourite in the 56th edition of the grand event.

The way bookmakers’ odds are weighing heavily on Flax, emerging victorious are down to a number of factors leaning in the Bridget Stidolph-trained runner’s favour.

His past form reads like an impressive listing of premier horse racing events, having contested in no less than nine Grade Three-rated or better races in his last 10 outings.

Eurokilon is certainly hard to oppose on paper, but when the quality of thoroughbreds he is expected to overcome on Tankard day is factored in, the task at hand becomes very much a formidable one.

Fresh from an impressive showing during the running of the 1 600m Independence Trophy when he displayed a perfect mix of staying stamina and brutal sprinting ability to decimate the 12-horse field, the Gokhan Terzi-trained runner cannot be ignored today.

Lance Pagel will pilot the son of Classic Flag, who has been doing well in recent times where he managed top places on every outing.

The gelding now has seven wins under his belt and is partnered with regular jockey on the daunting 2 000m race.

Eurakilon’s last two outings were preparatory runs for the Castle Tankard and on both occasions, the six-year-old showed his opponents a clean pair of heels with thumping performances that underlined just how well the gelding has improved.

He will certainly provide a major threat to the favourite Flax.

Also not to be ignored will be three-year-old Black Minnaloushe gelding Mathematician from the Bridget Stidolph-yard.