Bingwa lands Charity Mile again

Bingwa won the Allied Steelrode-OnAMission Charity Mile for the second year in succession at Turffontein on Saturday.

The woman stopped shrieking delight at winning R200,000 at Turffontein racecourse to give a brief TV interview, in which she revealed an interesting conversation she’d had with the horse that had just won the Allied Steelrode-OnAMission Charity Mile.

The lady from Epworth Childrens Home declared: “I know you’ll say I’m mad, but I looked that horse Bingwa in the eye and said, “You’d better do it, boy!” And he winked at me and said, “I’ve got this, babe!”

Bingwa kept his word and romped to victory in the famous Grade 2 race – repeating a memorable win in the same event a year ago.

Epworth Children’s Home was paired with Bingwa, via a ballot among 16 participating charities, so landed the R200,000 top prize. But all the charities were winners on the day, with even the last placed horse delivering R20,000 its a good cause – all courtesy of sponsors Allied Steelrode.

Bingwa’s trainer Johan Janse van Vuuren told the post-race interviewer: “My cheeks are hurting from all the smiling. I haven’t smiled this much in months!”

There was good cause for the smiles as Van Vuuren not only saddled the first two horses past the post – Bingwa (10-1) and Puerto Manzano (16-1) – but earlier in the day landed a quick double with Southern Skies and Bon Vivant in Races 2 and 3.

Third in the Charity Mile was 3-1 favourite Safe Passage from the Mike de Kock stable.

Former champion jockey Gavin Lerena rode a supremely confident race, jumping Bingwa smartly from the No 1 stall and positioning him just off the early pace set by Durban raider After The Rain, Safe Passage and Forever Mine. With 400m to go, Lerena pressed the button and his mount responded with alacrity, surging clear to win comfortably by 2.25 lengths.

Lerena commented afterwards that Bingwa had steadily improved in his preparation and was “a wonderful horse to work with”.

Van Vuuren, who took over Bingwa when Dorrie Sham handed in her licence, said he’d received the horse a few months ago in very good nick. “And he has been working superbly for the past three weeks as we’ve focused on this race meeting.”

Bingwa is owned by Tanzania-based Colin and Belinda Stonebridge, who also bred him from the stallion Pathfork and their Zimbabwean mare Marauding Lady.

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