The Ridgemont team celebrated a Canford Cliffs homebred double trained by the Brett and James Crawford partnership and ridden by their retained jockey Richard Fourie, as racing returned to a sundrenched Hollywoodbets Durbanville on Wednesday.
The five-time Gr1 winner Canford Cliffs, victorious in two of three starts as a juvenile, including the Gr2 Coventry Stakes, has had a remarkable season with his handful of 2yo’s, and tops the AEPR (average earnings per runner) tables at R262 883!
That said, Canford Cliffs’ Wednesday double was made up of two lightly campaigned fairer sex sophomores, winning over 1250m and 1800m, respectively.
Hoerikwaggo went to the start of the third race ,a 1200m Open Maiden, at her third outing after two close-up finishes down the Hollywoodbets Kenilworth straight.
After being placed in the box seat and eyeballing the top two, she lengthened in the run for home and went on smartly.
Shaylin MacGregor and Ridgemont’s Craig Kieswetter lead Hoerikwaggo in (Pic – Chase Liebenberg)
The aptly named Hoerikwaggo, the Khoisan word for Table Mountain, is out of Our Table Mountain, a prolific winner producing daughter of Kentucky Derby winner Fusaichi Pegasus.
A classy racemare, whose six wins included the Listed Olympic Duel Stakes, Our Table Mountain won from 1200-1600m.
Our Table Mountain, whose half-brother is former Gr1 Breeders’ Cup Mile winner and successful US sire Artie Schiller, has proven even more successful at stud.
Two races later, Strawberry Thief stepped out for her fourth start, and well and truly had it all to do from an awkward 11 gate.
Strawberry Thief (Richard Fourie) storms home to beat Aldo Domeyer and English Mistress (Pic – Chase Liebenberg)
But dropped in and ridden confidently by the bang on-form Richard Fourie, she was last turning into the home straight – the calm before the proverbial storm!
She showed her class as she made up many lengths, and despite having to be checked off the heels of an opponent midway down the straight, she won a cracker.
Strawberry Thief, a half-sister to 2019 Gold Cup winner Dynasty’s Blossom, is out of the classy seven-time winning Danehill Dancer mare Crimson Blossom, whose wins included the Final Fling Stakes.
Canford Cliffs has a single lot (#226) on next week’s CRS Premier Yearling Sale – a well bred colt who is a half brother to the well-performed I Am Giant.
