South African-bred Action Thriller emerged as the headline winner at the ZimBho Purple Bloom and Pink Ribbons race day at Borrowdale Park Racecourse on Saturday, as Tourism and Hospitality Industry Minister Barbara Rwodzi called for renewed investment in horse racing to strengthen Zimbabwe’s sports tourism offering.
The event, held on October 24, horse racing merged with fashion, live music, local cuisine and cancer awareness, reflected efforts to broaden the country’s tourism experiences beyond traditional sightseeing attractions.
Action Thriller, a five-year-old chestnut gelding bred by Waterford Stud, won the US$15,000 ZimBho Jacaranda Bloom Cup, with US$7,500 allocated to the first-placed horse. The horse is owned by Ms T B Hlupo and was ridden by jockey Mathew Thackeray.
Sired by Red Ray out of Smouldering, whose sire was Parade Leader, Action Thriller featured in the 1,260-metre contest at Borrowdale, where seven runners were listed for the feature race.
The meeting formed part of a six-race program that combined competitive racing with runway presentations and entertainment, attracting racing enthusiasts, tourism stakeholders, diplomats and members of the public.
Minister Rwodzi said the initiative was part of her drive to integrate different sporting disciplines into tourism, creating opportunities to attract visitors while supporting associated industries such as hospitality, gastronomy and entertainment.
She also called for renewed efforts to restore Zimbabwe’s horse-racing infrastructure and revive the sport’s capacity to attract local and international competitors.
Speaking at the event, Rwodzi recalled that Zimbabwe’s racecourses had previously drawn international jockeys and racing enthusiasts, arguing that restoring the facilities could help revive the sport’s tourism potential. “The Government is willing to explore partnerships with the private sector to support this ambition,” she said.
The minister’s remarks echoed the broader objective of positioning sporting events as platforms for destination marketing, investment and increased visitor spending.
The Zimbabwe Tourism Authority’s participation under the Chief Executive Officer Dr George Manyaya who works hand in hand with the minister, alongside the Mashonaland Turf Club, Turf Culture Africa and Cancerserve, is a strong point of the event’s combination of tourism promotion and social responsibility.
This tourism initiative, coincided with Harare’s jacaranda season and using the racecourse as a venue gave a wider lifestyle experience.
The event incorporated local cuisine, encouraging visitors to experience Zimbabwean gastronomy alongside the sporting programme. Fashion showcases and live performances further expanded the offering beyond the racecourse.
The attendance of diplomats, including Türkiye’s Ambassador to Zimbabwe, Berna Kasnaklı Versteden, added an international dimension to the gathering.
Beyond the racing action, the programme featured the Cancerserve Pink Ribbons Cup, linking the sporting occasion to cancer awareness and support for affected communities.
The event demonstrated how sports, culture, hospitality and health advocacy can be brought together to create tourism products that appeal to different audiences.
For Zimbabwe, initiatives of this nature offer an opportunity to revive interest in horse racing while presenting a more diverse tourism experience to domestic visitors and international markets.
