A COMPETITIVE field of 17 runners was yesterday confirmed for the 25th edition of the OK Grand Challenge set for Borrowdale Race Course next Saturday.
DANIEL NHAKANISO
The OK Grand Challenge, a Grade 2 race and the sixth leg of the open series, is one of the richest and most popular races on the domestic horse racing calendar and will be run over 1 800 metres.
The 17-horse field that will compete for a stake in the $40 000 OK Grand Challenge this year marks an increase from the 14 horses that competed in last year’s edition. Super Trouper, trained by Zimbabwean Gokhan Terzi, was immediately tipped as one of the favourites, standing on 4/1 odds when betting opened yesterday.
In an interview yesterday on the sidelines of the final field launch, Terzi said he was confident about Super Trouper’s chances.
“My horse (Super Trouper) won a very good race last Sunday. He was only 80% ready then and this is the race we were aiming him for and he will be 100% ready on the 8th of June. He deserves to be the favourite and I think he’ll be the main runner on the day,” Terzi said.
Local horses will have a huge presence in the field with Kirk Swanson sending out 2012 Triple Crown winner Madigan and Captain’s Tiger, who finished fourth in the Castle Tankard.
Lisa Harris will also send out four horses, namely Alula Borealis, Candymancan, Platinum Moon and Charro Negro. Harris will, however, not send defending OK Grand Challenge champion Earl of Surrey as the horse is yet to recover from an injury.
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Recently crowned Castle Tankard champion A King is Born is also in the field and is one of the two horses together with Orbit War trained by South Africa-based Alyson Wright. Other horses to look out for include Choisir, Royal Arrow, Approval Rating, Burmese Cat, Ginepri, Final Fling, Pleasant Valley and Directorate.
