Ridgemont’s resident stallion Rafeef made the perfect start to his stud career with his first crop producing six stakes winners.
His initial crop was headed by a pair of Gr1 winners who scored their signature wins at different ends of the racing spectrum, with his son Aragosta landing the Gr1 WSB SA Derby over 2450m and another son Master Archie landing the Gr1 Computaform Sprint over 1000 metres.
Aragosta (Richard Fourie) wins the Gr1 SA Derby (Pic – Candiese Lenferna)
Rafeef’s first crop also included William Robertson, who was beaten less than half a length by Horse Of The Year Captain’s Ransom (Captain Al) when runner up in the 2022 Gr1 Mercury Sprint.
Rafeef’s second crop has also proved highly effective, with five stakes winners headed by Gr1 Gold Medallion winner Thunderstruck, Gr2 Jonsson Workwear Dingaans victor Union Square, Gr3 Umzimkhulu Stakes queen Shantastic and Oaks Trial winner Ipso Facto.
This crop has also produced a number of smart performers including the progressive Trois Trois Quatre, Mrs Browning and Mover And Shaker, with the latter victorious in the 2022 Bloodstock SA Sales Cup (C and G).
While it is early days yet, Rafeef’s third crop, now three-year-olds, is also showing considerable promise.
This crop has already produced a pair of graded stakes winners in the form of Leaving Las Vegas and Outlaw King, winners of the Gr3 Pretty Polly Stakes and Gr2 Tabgold Umkhomazi Stakes respectively, last season.
Rafeef, whose son Master Archie stands his first season at stud this year, came up with yet another eyecatching winner on Saturday when his three-year-old daughter Chasing Happiness made a winning debut at Turffontein.
Chasing Happiness – easy debut win at Turffontein on Saturday under Gavin Lerena (Pic – JC Photos)
Chasing Happiness is out of the high-class racemare Kalami, whose sire Daylami also ranks as the damsire of prominent Australian sire and champion. Pierro. and St Leger winning sire Logician, among others.
His legendary sire Redoute’s Choice is no stranger to producing top-class stallion sons, having also come up with the likes of four times Australian Champion Sire Snitzel, the hugely successful Not A Single Doubt, and Golden Slipper winning and producing sire, Stratum.
Redoute’s Choice, whose Wilgerbosdrift based son Buffalo Bill Cody made a big impression with his first yearlings last season, looks to have yet another exciting sire son on his hands in the form of five time Gr1 winner The Autumn Sun.
The latter made an impact with his first crop of three-year-olds this season, headed by Gr2 Silver Shadow Stakes winner Autumn Ballet and Gr1 Sistema Stakes runner-up, Tulsi.
The Autumn Sun was produced by Azmiyna, whose sire Galileo is also the broodmare sire of Rafeef’s Gr1 winning son, Aragosta.
