The Ridgemont Team look to have another classic prospect on their hands after the Rafeef filly Mon Petit Cherie followed in the golden hoofprints of the Robertson nursery’s past Cape Fillies Guineas winners Make It Snappy (2022) and Front And Centre (2018), with a sensational victory in last Saturday’s Gr2 Western Cape Fillies Championship at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth.
While the two previous Ridgemont-bred champions were both daughters of the famous farm’s iconic stallion Dynasty, Mon Petit Cherie is by new generation star Rafeef, who ‘came of age’ for the umpteenth time, by marking his 21st career stakes winner.
Flashback to 2018! Front And Centre (Anton Marcus) (Pic – Supplied)
Now a winner of 2 of her 5 outings, and likely to be even more brilliantly effective over further than the 1400m of Saturday’s contest, the athletic Mon Petit Cherie is out of the Galileo mare Exotic, who won over 2400m in Ireland. The progressive 3yo is thus bred on the same smashing cross as graded stakes winning siblings Aragosta and Mrs Browning.
A first Graded success for the new partnership of Ridgemont and reigning SA champion jockey Richard Fourie, Mon Petit Cherie is trained by Futura Park resident Brett Crawford, who also saddled Grade 1 big-hitters Make It Snappy and Front And Centre.
A clearly excited Brett Crawford observed that the 1400m was the bottom of Mon Petit Cherie’s range.
“There’s absolutely no reason she can’t step up and go forward. Congratulations to Ridgemont for breeding another feature performer. She is going to give the Kieswetter and Heffer families plenty of fun,” he added.
Mon Petit Cherie storms home (Pic – Chase Liebenberg)
Richard Fourie suggested that the return clash in the WSB Gr1 Cape Fillies Guineas on 7 December with a number of high-class beautifully bred gallopers who ran behind Mon Petit Cherie on Saturday, is an exciting summer season prospect for racing fans.
Having just jetted in from his visit to California and the 2024 Breeders’ Cup World Championships, Ridgemont’s Craig Kieswetter, labelled the victory a ‘wonderful win’.
“She’s exciting and it’s great to have a bright prospect as the whole team knuckles down for what is set to be our biggest season yet! What more can one say about Rafeef! Versatility and Grade 1 winners of both sexes from 1000m to 2450m – he’s remarkable!” added Kieswetter.
South Africa’s Leading First Season Sire of 2020-2021, Rafeef, a son of champion Redoute’s Choice, enjoyed a cracker of a season in 2023-2024.
Besides his Equus champion son Thunderstruck now standing alongside him in the revered Ridgemont stallion barn, Rafeef’s graded stakes winning flagbearers of last term include the likes Beating Wings, Cats Pajamas, Frances Ethel, Mover And Shaker and Mrs Browning, who are set to keep the ‘thunder rolling’ this season.
The oustanding Rafeef – a son of Redoute’s Choice out of champion National Colour (Pic – Supplied)
