The return to action this week of last season’s Equus champion 2yo colt Mustaaqeem, who turns out at the Vaal on Thursday, should create plenty of interest with the Highveld Season around the corner.
Callan Murray has matters in hand as Mustaaqeem draws off for his Gr1 victory
The boom Mike de Kock-trained Redoute’s Choice colt returns after a break of 9 months since winning his only two starts by an aggregate 11,50 lengths.
He beat stablemate Naafer by 4 lengths to win the Gr1 SA Nursery on Champions Day, 6 May.
Runners – R112 000 PROGRESS PLATE (Race 5)
| 1 | 5 | Africa Rising | 61 | 101 | A | *L Hewitson | Sean Tarry | |
| 2 | 7 | Romi’s Boy | 60.5 | 97 | T A | J P v’d Merwe | Alec Laird | |
| 3 | 2 | Mustaaqeem (AUS) | 58 | 109 | A | C Murray | Mike de Kock | |
| 4 | 8 | Pera Palace | 58 | 96 | A | K de Melo | Paul Peter | |
| 5 | 4 | Down To Zero | 58 | 91 | A | C Zackey | M G Azzie/A A Azzie | |
| 6 | 6 | Maleficent | 55.5 | 86 | A | R Simons | Alec Laird | |
| 7 | 3 | Gimmethenight | 55 | 84 | A | W Marwing +0.5 | Weiho Marwing | |
| 8 | 1 | Spring Breeze | 52.5 | 87 | A | D David | M G Azzie/A A Azzie | |
| Same Trainer – Not Coupled on Tote | ||||||||
| (2,6) (5,8) | ||||||||
Rated 109, Mustaaqeem runs in a 1200m Progress Plate at 14h10 on Thursday and will be partnered by Callan Murray, who at the age of 20 at the time, booted home a unique Gr1 treble on Champions Day. After Mustaaqeem had won the Gr1 Nursery, his older brother Rafeef stormed home to win the Computaform Sprint. Geoff Woodruff’s Deo Juvente edged out Legal Eagle in the Gr1 Premier’s Champions Challenge to give Callan a Gr1 treble and the biggest day of his career to date.
The talented Rafeef, who was crowned Highveld Horse Of The Season, now stands at Highlands in the Cape.
Bred by Arrowfield Stud in partnership with Klawervlei Stud, Mustaaqeem and Rafeef are out of three-time Gr1 winning sprinter National Colour, South Africa’s champion 3-year-old filly and Horse of the Year in 2006. Her winning form as a three-year-old extended to her six-year-old career, when she was narrowly beaten in the Group 1 Nunthorpe Stakes at Newmarket.
