Horse racing: No stopping red-hot Dragon at Britam Kenya Guineas

Britam Group managing Director Dr. Benson Wairegi presents the Britam Kenya Guiness trophy to Lesley Sercombe

 

Pre-race favourite Busselton, ridden by Tanui, finishes third.

White Dragon, ridden by Leslie Sercombe, clocked 1:38 1/10 to emerge victorious in the 2018 Britam Kenya Guineas Challenge at Ngong Race Course in Nairobi yesterday.

Richard Kibet’s Clothes Horse finished second in the energy sapping race as pre-race favourite Daniel Tanui finished third riding Busselton.

“It’s so amazing to win this coveted trophy more than twice. White Dragon was a great horse to ride today,” Sercombe told Standard Sports.

“I took six weeks to prepare for the race. I did lots of interval training with White Dragon on this course every day,” said Sercombe.

Apart from winning the main race of the day, Sercombe also won other two races with the pony.

She was the winner of the Britam Property Handicap contest and the Grayham trophy.

The race has grown in popularity to become a premier day in the horse racing calendar, with attendance increasing from an average of 1,500 people in 2015 to 5,000 people in 2017.

The race has always attracted top international teams and athletes from South Africa, Mauritius, and Zimbabwe.

“By offering support to this event, Britam aims to promote the development of horse racing in Kenya as well as other sports in the markets we operate in.

“This is in line with the company’s social responsibility initiatives to support the environment, sports, and education,” Dr Benson Wairegi, the Britam Holdings Group managing director, said.

Unlucky Kibet said he would try his luck for the third time next year. He said a small hiccup hindered him from winning the race yesterday.

“I finished in runners-up place in 2015 and the same has happened today. I’m hopeful to break the jinx year,” Kibet said.

This is the fourth year in a row that Britam is sponsoring the Kenya Guineas Challenge.