Trainer Brett Crawford and the Ridgemont team set the stage for a serious bid for classic glory on 7 December in the World Sports Betting Cape Fillies Guineas when the progressive Rafeef filly Mon Petite Cherie showed her mettle with a thrilling victory in the R450 000 Gr2 Western Cape Fillies Championship at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on Saturday.
Richard Fourie times Mon Petit Cherie’s run perfectly as Beware The Bomb (Sean Veale) looms menacingly on the outside (Pic – Chase Liebenberg)
Victorious in the Cape fairer sex classic in 2022 with Make It Snappy and in 2018 with Front And Centre, both daughters of icon Dynasty, the Ridgemont joy at having another classic prospect under their banner for their powerhouse Grade 1 Computaform Sprint winning stallion Rafeef was exemplified in the post-race celebrations and joy that followed a thrilling 1400m contest, where just over half a length covered the first four fillies home.
On a milestone day, Richard Fourie registered his first Grade 2 winner for his new sponsors and rode a typical crackerjack, producing a finely judged effort on Mon Petit Cherie down the rail as the charging pack kept rolling.
At the line, Mon Petit Cherie (16-1) got the verdict by a head from Beware The Bomb (25-1), with Gr1 placer Symphony In White (7-2) in third, and the flying Baker McVeigh Diana Stakes winner Gimmie’s Countess a neck away in fourth, after making up lengths from last in the home straight.
The consummate professional Richard Fourie, having ridden 3 winners on the day up to that point, said that the race ‘worked out well’ and that the WSB Fillies Guineas over the longer summer straight run-in would be an interesting race.
Hollywoodbets-sponsored trainer Brett Crawford confirmed that the winner ‘can only get better.
“This is the bottom of her range and there’s no reason she can’t step up and go forward,” he added.
Championship elation! Trainer Brett Crawford and part-owner Craig Kieswetter celebrate a big victory (Pic – Chase Liebenberg)
Ridgemont’s Craig Kieswetter, who races the impressive winner in partnership with Devin Heffer, suddenly showed no after effects of his jet lag post the Breeders’ Cup, and was delighted to lead the classic prospect in.
“Finally Brett Crawford and his team pulled finger and got a winner for us. And Craig Carey also finally picked a black-type horse,” he joked.
“Seriously though, this was a wonderful win and the whole team is coming together. We are getting stuck in and are looking forward to a great season,” added Kieswetter.
The winner is a Ridgemont-bred daughter of the leading farm’s champion sire Rafeef (Redoute’s Choice) out of the Galileo mare Exotic, who won at 2400m in Ireland. So there are interesting times ahead!
The Gr2 Western Cape Fillies Championship has well and truly set the stage for a vintage renewal of the R1,25 million World Sports Betting Gr1 Cape Fillies Guineas for which entries close at 11h00 on Tuesday 19 November. Supplementary entries can be made by 11h00 on Friday 29 November.
Declarations are due by 11h00 on Monday 2 December.
A reminder that the 2024/2025 Cape Racing Summer Festival of Racing is back and better than ever, offering eight captivating racedays, featuring the Gr2 Cape Punters Cup on 23 November and running all the way to 16 March 2025.
