If the mark of a good stallion is his ability to sire stakes winners over opposite sides of the stamina spectrum, then Ridgemont/Highlands-based Rafeef put himself firmly in that category with an auspicious double at last weekend’s Turffontein meeting.
That red-letter day started with a fine exacta in the Gr3 Man O’ War Sprint over 1100m, where his progeny claimed the lion’s share of the stakes pot.
Rafeef 1-2 in the Gr3 Man O’War! Master Archie beats Cleaver Greene (Pic – JC Photos)
In a thrilling one-two finish, Master Archie became his sire’s third first-crop stakes winner with a hard-fought neck defeat over paternal half-brother Cleaver Greene.
If that wasn’t enough cause for celebration, it merely served as a precursor to a landmark achievement, a first Gr1 winner!
Rafeef’s son Aragosta was on a retrieval mission in the Gr1 SA Derby following tepid efforts in the first two legs of the Triple Crown and even though he had won the Gr3 Sea Cottage Stakes over 1800m, there were those who doubted his ability to stay the Derby trip of 2450m.
Rafeef son Aragosta storms home under Richard Fourie (Pic – Candiese Lenferna)
However, the Mike de Kock-trained gelding silenced his critics when he outduelled a game Zeus to become his sire’s first Gr1 winner.
Significantly, the runner-up is also by a sprinter, the much-missed champion Soft Falling Rain. Whilst it is easy to maintain that both defied the laws of genetics, it is worth noting that Aragosta’s dam Miss Galidora is a daughter of the mighty Galileo, whose record as a classic influence is unparalleled.
Zeus too, had worthy credentials, being a half-brother to Out Of Your League, the 2020 SA Derby winner.
Rafeef – top class (Pic – JC Photos)
On the racetrack, Rafeef clearly took after his dam, the champion sprinter National Colour, a daughter of speed influence National Assembly (sire also of Soft Falling Rain), whilst his own brother Mustaaqeem was the country’s champion juvenile.
Remarkably, his half-sister Circle Of Speed added to the occasion when her daughter Full Velocity dashed to a fluent victory in Sunday’s Listed KwaZulu-Natal Stakes at Hollywoodbets Greyville.
However, it must be pointed out that Rafeef’s sire, the Australian stallion extraordinaire Redoute’s Choice, sired seven Oaks winners and five Derby winners during his illustrious innings at Arrowfield Stud, amongst which Weiho Marwing’s SA Derby winner Wylie Hall.
History shows that Rafeef is not the first sprinter whose progeny are capable of staying a true Derby distance and beyond.
Jeppe’s Reef and Robbie Fradd powers clear to win the Gr1 Gold Cup
Former Highlands champion Jallad won the Durban Merchants, yet sired two Gold Cup winners in Jeppe’s Reef and Major Bluff, while his Gr1 Met winner Zebra Crossing also captured the Gr3 Gold Circle Derby.
Qui Danzig never won beyond 1300m yet sired the Gold Bowl/Caradoc Gold Cup winner Valley Dancer, whilst his top son Key Of Destiny was versatility personified, winning both the Gr1 Golden Horse Sprint and Gr2 Gold Circle Derby!
West Man, a French-raced sprinter who ran third in the prestigious Gr1 King’s Stand Stakes, sired his fair share of fine speedsters, notably Gr1 Gold Medallion winner Roaring Sands, yet he also counted SA Derby winner Silver Sliver amongst his stakes winners.
Other sprinters capable of siring Gold Bowl and Cup, Oaks and Derby winners include Dominion Royale, Muhtafal, Restructure, Lizard Island, Wolfhound and Shalford.
Those of a more recent vintage include Captain Al, a perennial champion sire of juveniles, whose son Malmoos won last season’s SA Derby.
Smart stayer Crome Yellow – a son of Trippi (Pic – Chase Liebenberg)
Drakenstein’s champion Trippi, whose stamina index hovers around 1400m, is capable of siring a good stayer like dual winner of the Cape Summer Stayers Crome Yellow, whose dam is none other than Jallad.
Even the Port Elizabeth Gold Cup, at 3600m South Africa’s longest staying race until it was reduced to 3200m in 2020, has thrown up winners sired by sprinters, note aforementioned Qui Danzig (Key Castle), Pole Position (Arbe Kesev) and Bezrin (Thunderflash).
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