HARARE - Twenty horses entered the final acceptance event of this year’s edition of the Castle Tankard race set for May 4 at Borrowdale Racecourse.
Speaking at the launch yesterday, Delta Corporation’s executive Max Karombo said they were happy to be associated with the prestigious race.
“We at Delta Beverages have a very reason to be extremely proud of what has been achieved so far in preparing for the main Castle Tankard event and what is upon us,” Karombo told journalists yesterday.
“We are happy to celebrate the 51th edition of the event together. As Delta, we will come with seven other races namely, Coca-Cola, Castle Lite, Golden Pilsener, Zambezi, Shumba Maheu, Bohlingers, Castle Tankard, Carling Black Label.
“Our theme for the running of the Castle Tankard this year is destination perfection. This theme reaffirms the Castle Tankard as the country’s most prestigious horse racing event and establishes that with the Castle Tankard horse racing event, only perfect moments take place.
“This sponsorship was mooted with the aim of developing horse racing in Zimbabwe and will continue to do so in the years to come. Indeed we have achieved this with the emergence of grade one horse race in Africa and is the only remaining grade one in the country,” added Karombo.
This year’s Castle Tankard has a stake of $50 000 and consumer prizes worth $250 000 courtesy of the sponsors Delta Beverages, through their Castle Lager brand.
Initially, 23 horses had been nominated for this year’s race but three slots have been scratched. Ten of those nominations came from South Africa.
Last year, South Africa’s unheralded Code Rock, trained by Alyson Wright, won the 50th Castle Tankard after coming from the draw of eight in a race that attracted a strong field of 13.
FINAL FIELD
Captain’s Tiger, Alula Borealis, Winter’s Night, Madigan, Baracah, Eight street, Pressure, Wittenberg, Yer-Maan, Orbit War Burmese Cat, Royal Arrow, Candymancan, Emperor Augustus, Platinum Moon, Super Trouper, A King is born, Macchiat.
- Blessings Mashaya