Dean Kannemeyer produced the magic for the Hollywood Syndicate at the Theatre of Champions on Sunday when the ultra-consistent Rafeef filly Shantastic showed her customary turn of foot to leave her highly vaunted opposition eating dust as she soared to victory in the R200 000 Gr3 Umzimkhulu Stakes.
Taking on the likes of last term’s champion 2yo Canadian Summer, and the well performed Ameena and Gauteng visitor Miss Cool, there weren’t many brave enough to side with Shantastic, who only arrived at Summerveld from the Cape ten days earlier.
But super sire Rafeef’s 12th stakes winner came out fresh and with all guns blazing!
National log-leading rider Keagan de Melo made it look clinical as he tracked the pacemaker Let It Snow and made his match-winning move on Shantastic at the 300m marker.
With an impressive turn of foot, Shantastic (13-2) skipped ahead and despite the efforts of Jason Gates on Gr1 winner Canadian Summer (33-10), it was race over as Shantastic stayed on well to win by 2,70 lengths in a time of 84,95 secs.
Keagan de Melo and Shantastic are on their own for a big win! (Pic – Candiese Lenferna)
Let It Snow (66-1) stayed on for third and 0,80 lengths back, with the eventual tote favourite Ameena (33-20) clearly needing it after her 39 week break and beaten into fourth.
For Winning Form-sponsored jockey De Melo, it’s been a great weekend after his victory on Son Of Raj in the WSB Gr1 SA Derby 24 hours earlier. The young rider complimented his mount’s turn of foot.
Trainer Dean Kannemeyer couldn’t have hoped for a better start to his KZN campaign and confirmed that he thought Shantastic ‘was better than a 90’.
“The runner-up is no slouch, and while we got 6kgs from her, Shantastic won well today. It was a sterling performance and well done to Anthony Delpech, Owen Heffer and the whole Hollywood team!” added the classic trainer.
Shantastic was purchased for R240 000 by the Hollywood Syndicate at the 2021 BSA Cape Yearling Sale.
She has now cracked a her maiden graded stakes victory and enhanced her paddock value as she takes her tally to 4 wins with 2 places from 8 starts and stakes of R353 550.
Bred by Wilgerbosdrift & Mauritzfontein, she is by Ridgemont Highlands top-class Redoute’s Choice sire Rafeef out of the Fort Wood mare Gain Ground. That makes her a half sister to Kannemeyer’s former Gr2 winner Waterberry Lane (Soft Falling Rain).
The Rafeef roadshow continued at Turffontein on Saturday when the top-class sire enjoyed a double courtesy of his Gr1 Computaform Sprint winner Master Archie and the consistent four-time winner, Whafeef.
Just a week earlier the Gr1-winning son of Redoute’s Choice celebrated his 11th stakes winner courtesy of the undefeated Leaving Las Vegas’ eyecatching score in the Gr3 Pretty Polly Stakes.
Watch the replay:
