Zebaldt Ngaruka 

Renowned racehorses Woodland Ridge and Boma won the main races at the Tobie Van Wyk Race Day held by Naris Turf Club in Rehoboth on Saturday. 

Hundreds of racehorses vied for the N$85 000 worth event aimed at honouring legendary Tobie Van Wyk who played an instrumental role in horse racing sport in Rehoboth. 

Competition organiser Eamon Freygang shared with New Era Sports that the prestigious event which was not on the calendar of Namibia Horse Racing was also organised to award jockeys and take something home for Christmas as they are important stakeholders in the horse racing sport. 

Seasonal horse, Woodland Ridge of Junius Racing (JR) scooped first place in the thoroughbred main race which was a distance of 2 000 meters (m). 

Woodland Ridge pocketed N$8 000 for winning the race. 

The JR top horse was challenged by Action Time of Burger Racing (BR) in second place, while Southern Horse Racing Association’s (SHRA) Whisper claimed the third spot. 

In the Nambred main race, Boma from Harambee Racing clinched victory, followed by Okahandja Racing’s promising horse Katiti Komambo leaving the third place for Soldier Boy of Michael van Wyk. 

The Aminuis-based horse Boma pocketed N$7 000 for winning the highly contested 1600m D/A Division plate. 

Herman Bock’s horse called Velocity Junior won the juvenile horses 1400m after it came first, challenged by Angermund Racing’s Storm Breaker in second place, while BR young horse called Striker came third. In another exciting sprint, Miss Chicca’s of Lucille Feris claimed the 1600m in the Nambred Maiden category, while Surprise of Jesse Dunn and Riverside Racing Muskiet, took the second and third places respectively. 

Woodland Ridge earlier also won the short distance of 1000m sprint of the Import A-Division horses. The champion horse left behind Whisper in second place and Action in third, while in race 11 Slim Shady of Angermund won, leaving position two and three to BR’s horses Prince and Justify respectively. Karahii Kavari speaking to New Era Sports after Boma’s victory said he is excited for winning the Nambred main race saying that it was a good response from the recent disappointment at the MTC Summer Cup competition in Okahandja last month. 

“This is great news for the club, and I am very thankful to the jockey who played his card well considering the pressure in the race. We trained the horses well and our focus now will be to the upcoming Tsjaka event,” said Kavari. 

-zngaruka@yahoo.com