Like many of his horseracing counterparts in South Africa, it’s been a tough ten days for top owner Braam van Huyssteen.
But the George-based businessman had plenty to smile about when European Import Raheen House broke the drought with a resounding victory in the A$300 000 Gr2 Schweppes Chairman’s Quality at Randwick on Saturday.
Braam van Huyssteen (photo: hamishNIVENPhotography)
Owned by a partnership that includes Braam’s fellow dual SA Horse Of The Year Legal Eagle’s Aussie-based partner William Henderson, Raheen House relished a distance rise to the 2600m to emerge as a serious Sydney Cup contender.
A two-time stakes winner over staying trips in England, Raheen House had not managed a top-five finish in four previous Australian runs and it had actually been 911 days between wins for the stayer, whose last turf triumph was at Ascot in the UK over 2816m in October of 2017.
But the Kris Lees-trained gelding turned that form around on Saturday in smart style under Hugh Bowman.
Lees said the six-year-old took time to adjust to Australian racing but he had been pleased with his two campaign runs leading into Saturday. He confirmed that Brenton Avdulla will be the new rider for Raheen House in next Saturday’s Gr1 Sydney Cup.
The riding switch is necessary as Bowman will be serving a suspension.
