Story by Lawrence Trusida, Sports Editor
IDEAL View headlines the pack at this year’s Castle Tankard set to take centre stage on 10 May, after the unveiling of the event held this Tuesday at Borrowdale Park in Harare.
A total of 16 horses will compete for the US$50 000 prize in the 65th edition of the Castle Tankard after the final acceptance held this Wednesday.
The Castle Tankard stands as Africa’s oldest sponsored horse race and is the country’s only Grade One competition run over two thousand metres.
Ideal View of the Debra Swanson stable is the odds-on favourite for the race, but Bridget Stidolph who produced last year’s winner is looking to shock the park.
“I have two horses this time, last year we had Waffles, which was on top of her game and the plan worked. This year I do not have the favourites for this race, but we are preparing well enough and my horses this time have no weight and they are now experienced over the distance, so we could surprise one or two people,” Stidolph said.
Stidolph has Wantage, which finished third last year and Citrusdal for this year’s race, which is heavily tipped to go in the direction of Ideal View, while Jaeger Moon, Abayyaan and Majestic Warrior are expected to pose a threat.
The event sponsors are determined to continue changing lives through sport, with the theme: ‘The Legacy Continues,’ which coincides with the sponsors celebrating Castle Lager’s 130th anniversary.
“As a corporate, we are happy to be helping change the lives of many athletes and we have tried to maintain our support over the years. We have kept the same purse as last year in a difficult environment, it shows our commitment to the public and the people who have supported us all these years,” Delta Beverages’ Marketing Manager Kundayi Mawema noted.
The event will be preceded by other races, while a celebration show will be held after the main race.
