In one of the most courageous displays of resolute galloping seen in the Cape at feature level this summer, Sean Tarry’s Rafeef colt Thunderstruck rounded off a testing campaign for the Randjesfontein raiders when he dug deep in the soft falling rain to hold on for honours in the R600 000 Khaya Stables Gr2 Diadem Stakes.
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Thunderstruck digs deep under Richard Fourie as Morne Winnaar threatens on Future Variety (Pic – Candiese Lenferna)
Always in touch and ‘grinding’ in the words of his rider Richard Fourie, Thunderstruck cruised past pacesetter Countdown at the 350m and was then faced with a determined challenge from the year younger Future Variety going into the final 200m.
In what must have felt like an eternity for his connections and supporters, the 8-10 favourite kept his head in front as the composed Fourie kept him straight and striding.
At the line, just 0,30 lengths separated the two with Thunderstruck scoring a memorable success to hold off Morne Winnaar and the chestnut son of Var.
Defending champion Bereave (7-1) ran a cracker to pip the 2022 winner Cosmic Highway (8-1) out of third by a head.
It was a smart prep by Cosmic Highway for his expected Highveld raid on the HF Oppenheimer Gr1 Horse Chestnut Stakes next month.
Thunderstruck has now won 6 races with 7 places from 16 starts for stakes of R1 841 918.
A BSA Online Auction recordbreaker at R1 241 000 as part of the Javett Dispersal, the Avontuur-bred Thunderstruck was originally acquired for R1 million BSA National Yearling Sale in 2021 by Form Bloodstock.
A son of Ridgemont’s former freshman champion Rafeef (Redoute’s Choice) the winner is out of Avontuur’s late super sire VAR (Forest Wildcat) five-time winning daughter Varikate, a winner of the Gr2 Post Merchants.
Enjoy the replay: