The Ridgemont Highlands team are riding the crest of a summer season wave and launched their sensational Grade 1 champagne day at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on Saturday with an eyecatching winning return to action after a long break by their handsome Snitzel colt, Veldskoen, in the opening event.
An athletic bay, the handsome Veldskoen is a shining example of the Kieswetter philosophy of combining best with best and breeding to Southern Hemisphere time from the passionate racing family’s Barnane Stud in Tipperary Co, Ireland.
As a son of the multiple champion Australian sire-of-sires Snitzel, Veldskoen’s win at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on Saturday will go down as a satisfying endorsement of patience for the whole team.
Louis Mxothwa steers the handsome Veldskoen to a smart win (Pic – Chase Liebenberg)
He is out the well-performed five-time winning Iffraaj mare, Belle Miraaj, who ran third in the Gr1 NZ 1000 Guineas of her year, and could well be comfortable at a mile, despite showing scintillating pace on Saturday.
Narrowly beaten on his Hollywoodbets Durbanville debut in September 2021 by subsequent Gr3 winner Winchester Mansion, Veldskoen returned after a 63 week break on Saturday to deliver a galloping lesson to his fifteen rivals.
Jockey Louis Mxothwa rode a supremely confident race, despite the reality of possible ring-rustiness and whispers about a few of the other runners.
“I always had it in the back of my mind that the opposition could be fitter, and that there were a few highly regarded gallopers in the field. But he was cruising early and I knew what he had done at home. I was frankly never worried!” enthused the progressive rider, who was to register a maiden Gr1 success later in the day.
Trainer Brett Crawford said that Velskoen had always been a talent, and had shown plenty in work – but conceded that he still had a lot to learn about the exciting colt.
“He had the setback after his first run. But his standing here today in the winner’s enclosure is a massive credit to a patient team effort that started with the Vets who did the tieback operation, and then through to Ross and Julie at Ridgemont Wellington, who did the groundwork and training on the farm before Veldskoen came back into the yard,” added the Philippi conditioner.
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A pleased Ross Kieswetter said that Veldskoen’s return was most satisfying and that thanks to the collective efforts of the Barnane, Ridgemont and Crawford Racing teams, he had enjoyed a seamless return to action.
“It shows we are doing something right and that we have the people and facilities to ensure that our horses are given the very best opportunity to race to their full potential. And I think on what we have seen so far, Veldskoen is an exciting 4yo and a horse worth following,” he concluded.
While the future programme of the 4yo son of Australia’s world-class history-making multiple Champion Sire remains flexible, the manner of his return victory and the athletic package suggests that the patience of the Kieswetter family will yet be well rewarded.
He is one for the black book!
