Ridgemont’s top sire Rafeef shone on Friday, the first day of the Premier Yearling Sale.
The son of Redoute’s Choice supplied the session topping colt, with the Narrow Creek Stud consigned colt Rafa’s Tune (Lot 94) was knocked down for R4 000 000.
The pricey colt, who was purchased by the Hong Kong Jockey Club, is the first foal of the top-class racemare Singforafa.
The latter won six races, four black type, notably the G1 South African Fillies Sprint.
Rafeef had five yearlings make more than R1 000 000 on Friday. His Lammerskraal Stud bred son Velocity (Lot 132) was knocked down to Gina Bortz for R2 500 000, making that colt the joint third top lot sold on the first day of the 2026 Premier Yearling Sale.
Bred on the same Rafeef/Var cross as G1 winning sires Master Archie and Thunderstruck, Velocity is out of the twice winning Var mare Varsity Lover, a three-parts sister to G1 L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate winner and Equus Champion Vardy.
Currently fourth on the General Sires premiership for 2025-2026, Rafeef looks to have another smart sort to his name in the form of Tintin. That Sean Tarry trained four-year-old made it three wins in a row when he won impressively at Turffontein on Thursday.
A full-brother to Listed Wilgerbosdrift Ruffian Stakes winner Secretary Bird, the progressive Tintin has won or finished second in five of his six starts.
Ridgemont’s exciting young stallion Malmoos came up with his first stakes winner when his daughter Marchland, a member of her sire’s first crop, won the Listed East Cape Fillies Nursery at Fairview on Friday.
A five and a half length winner on debut, the Kelly Mitchley trained Marchland was all the rage for Friday’s 1200m feature and she duly obliged impressively.
Under Muzi Yeni, Marchland hit the front with 100m to go, and she powered away to win the 2026 East Cape Fillies Nursery by three and a quarter lengths. It was a smart performance by Marchland, with the filly nervous before the start.
Now unbeaten in two starts, Marchland is owned by Mr Mervin Govender.
Marchland, who was bred by Lammerskraal Stud, is out of the Western Winter mare Marcheline.
Friday’s winner was a R450 000 buy from the 2025 Premier Yearling Sale.
Marchland joins impressive recent debut winner Within Reach as early winners for the Captain Al sired South African Triple Crown winner Malmoos.
The latter had yearlings make up to R550 000 at Friday’s session of the Premier Yearling Sale.
Ridgemont’s promising young sire Malmoos came up with his second winner on Thursday when his first-crop daughter Within Reach made a winning debut at Turffontein.
Trained by Sean Tarry, Within Reach overcame considerable greeness in running when she won the #Youcanbetonus! Maiden Juvenile Plate (Fillies) (1450m).
Under Keagan De Melo, the well related two-year-old ran on strongly in the closing stages to get up and win first up by just over three-parts of a length.
Bred by Avontuur Thoroughbred Farm, Within Reach races for the Wernars Family and Mukund Gujadhur.
Thursday’s winner, who is out of the Oratorio mare Jetorio, was an R800 000 buy from the 2025 Summer Sale.
Within Reach joins impressive debut winner Marchland as early winners for former South African Triple Crown winner Malmoos.
The latter, who shares his champion sire Captain Al with the top-class stallion One World, hails from one of the hottest families in the South African stud book.
Bred on similar lines to another promising young sire in the form of Erik The Red, Malmoos’ numerous high-class relatives include such current stakes horses as Note To Self (2nd G1 Lucky Fish Cape Derby), and Green Gateway (Listed Sophomore Sprint), as well as prominent stallion Master Of My Fate.
Malmoos has seven lots on the Premier Yearling Sale and 19 lots on the National Yearling Sale.
Mauritzfontein’s resident sire, and Japanese champion, Danon Platina, came up with a good looking debut winner on Wednesday.
Danon Platina’s two-year-old son Kazenoyoni made the perfect start to his career when he won the first race at Hollywoodbets Scottsville.
Under Craig Zackey, the Duncan Howells trained colt came from nowhere to win the Bet With Colossus Exclusive On www.tote.co.za Maiden Juvenile Plate (1200m) by nearly a length.
Bred by Moutonshoek, Kazenoyoni races for SA Punters Forum Syndicate (Pty) Ltd (Nom: Mr Deva Govender), Messrs G D Bodill, D C Howells, W L Reich, T L Tait, N S Subban & S Gopaul.
Wednesday’s winner, who is out of the Mambo In Seattle mare Bize, was a R275 000 buy from the 2025 National Yearling Sale.
Champion Danon Platina shares his legendary sire Deep Impact with a host of high-class sires, including Real Steel and Saxon Warrior. The former is responsible for Japanese Horse Of The Year, and dual G1 Saudi Cup winner, Forever Young and the latter is the sire of impressive recent G1 The Agency Randwick Guineas winner Sheza Alibi.
Danon Platina has five lots on the Premier Yearling Sale, and a further 18 lots on the National Yearling Sale.
Ridgemont’s G1 Computaform Sprint winning sire Rafeef enjoyed a purple patch at Turffontein on Saturday.
Not only did Rafeef geldings William Robertson and Rafa Bay finish 1-3 in Saturday’s G3 TAB J J The Jet Plane Stakes, Rafeef filly Secretary Bird landed the same day’s Listed Wilgerbosdrift Ruffian Stakes and Rafeef gelding Dante’s Bond romped home to a facile win in the day’s second race.
Star gelding William Robertson, winner of the 2025 G1 TAB Computaform Sprint, claimed the 17th win of his career when he won Saturday’s J J The Jet Plane Stakes (1000m).
It was a second year in a row that William Robertson had won the J J The Jet Plane Stakes, with the gelding having won the same race in 2025.
To date, William Robertson has won five graded stakes races in his 55 race career.
The Corne Spies trained gelding, once again, was partnered by Ryan Munger in Saturday’s race, with Munger having also won last year’s J J The Jet PLane Stakes on William Robertson.
The latter stormed home to get up close home and held off Taxi To The Moon to score by nearly half a length.
Bred by Ridgemont Highlands, the evergreen seven-year-old races for Messrs R P Macnab, Keegan Govender, X Spies & Corne Spies Racing (Pty) Ltd, Waste Glass Recovery (Pty) Ltd (Nom: J H de Lange).
William Robertson’s paternal half-brother Rafa Bay provided Rafeef with more black type when he finished third in the G3 TAB J J The Jet Plane Stakes.
Moutonshoek’s red hot sire The United States enjoyed a notable feature race double at Turffontein on Saturday.
Not only did the chestnut’s son Tin Pan Alley win Saturday’s G1 Wilgerbosdrift H F Oppenheimer Horse Chestnut, but The United States filly Care Forgot won the same day’s Listed Wilgerbosdrift Acacia Stakes.
The 2026 Horse Chestnut Stakes proved a triumph for The United States with his son Tin Pan Alley and Texas Red finishing 1-3 respectively. Texas Red had finished second in last year’s G1 Wilgerbosdrift H F Oppenheimer Horse Chestnut Stakes.
Trained by Sean Tarry, three-year-old Tin Pan Alley was claiming his third graded win and first G1 triumph with his win on Saturday. The Moutonshoek bred gelding had previously won both the G2 Betway Joburg Spring Challenge and G3 Graham Beck Stakes.
Under Keagan De Melo, Tin Pan Alley kicked clear as the field turned for home, and he powered home to win convincingly by three and three quarter lengths.
Owned by the Wernars Family and Dayalan Chinsammy, Tin Pan Alley has won six of 12 starts for earnings of R2 134 844.
He is the second G1 winner this season for The United States, following G1 World Pool Cape Flying Championship winner Kingdundee.
The gelding, who is out of the Querari mare The Entertainer, was a R500 000 buy from the 2024 August Two Year Old Sale.
His G1 Ranvet Stakes winning sire The United States had enjoyed more feature race success earlier on the card when his four-year-old daughter Care Forgot won the Listed Wilgerbosdrift Acacia Stakes.
Maine Chance Farms’ champion sire Vercingetorix came up with his 15th G1 winner when his son Grand Empire won the G1 HKJC World Pool SA Classic (1800m) at Turffontein on Saturday.
In the process, Grand Empire became the second son of Vercingetorix to win a leg of the South African Triple Crown with his paternal half-brother Splittheeights having won the G2 TAB Gauteng Guineas last month.
The SA Classic was another resounding triumph for Vercingetorix with his sons Grand Empire and Splittheeights finishing first and third respectively.
Trained by Sean Tarry, the gelded Grand Empire had just been beaten when second in the Gauteng Guineas and he duly went one better on Saturday.
Under a great ride from log-leading jockey Craig Zackey, the three-year-old put his head down where it mattered most and held off a fast charging Trust to win by a head.
Bred by Al Adiyaat, Grand Empire is owned by Mrs Kuhn.
The three-year-old, who is out of the Potala Palace mare Palace Of Dreams, has won four of six starts with Grand Empire yet to finish out of the first two.
Saturday’s G1 SA Classic winner was a R400 000 buy from the 2024 National Yearling Sale.
Grand Empire is one of 68 stakes winners for his champion sire, with Vercingetorix having also supplied the R900 000 sales topping colt at the recent Cape Yearling Sale.
Moutonshoek’s sensational resident sire The United States enjoyed more feature race success at Turffontein.
His daughter Care Forgot became The United States’ latest stakes winner when she won Saturday’s Listed Wilgerbosdrift Acacia Stakes (1600m).
The Sean Tarry trained four-year-old burst through late, under a well timed ride from Ryan Munger, to claim her biggest win to date, at the expense of stablemate Warning Sound, by a length.
In the process, Care Forgot made it back to back wins, with the filly having won her last start impressively.
Bred by Moutonshoek, and owned by Lance Michael, four-year-old Care Forgot has won six of 21 outings.
The filly, who is out of the Hawk Wing mare Love Unlimited, was a R300 000 buy from the 2023 August Two Year Old Sale.
Care Forgot’s G1 Ranvet Stakes winning sire The United States has had a great season in 2025-2026 thus far, with his flagbearers headed by G1 World Pool Cape Flying Championship winner Kingdundee and fellow graded stakes winners Rodeo Drive and Tin Pan Alley.
The son of Galileo has seven lots on offer at the Premier Yearling Sale and 18 lots on the National Yearling Sale.
Ridgemont’s top-class sire Rafeef made it back to back wins in the Listed Wilgerbosdrift Ruffian Stakes, when his two-year-old daughter Secretary Bird won that 1000m contest at Turffontein on Saturday.
Another Rafeef filly, Glastonbury, had won the same race in 2025.
In landing Saturday’s Listed race, Secretary Bird became the 26th stakes winner for Rafeef.
The Sean Tarry trained filly was given a fine ride by Ryan Munger in Saturday’s R200 000 contest, with Munger bringing Secretary Bird home with a storming late run to get up and win, going away, by two and a quarter lengths.
Bred by Klawervlei Stud, Secretary Bird races for the ASSM Racing Syndicate.
The 2026 Ruffian Stakes winner is out of the Captain Al mare Secretariat’s Girl.
Secretary Bird is one of four two-year-old winners, thus far, for Rafeef in 2025-2026, with the son of Redoute’s Choice currently third on South Africa’s Leading Sires of 2Yos premiership for the current season.
Rafeef has 22 lots on the Premier Yearling Sale, and a further 33 lots on offer at the National Yearling Sale.
The Drakenstein Stud based champion One World looks to have come up with a potentially top-class two-year-old in the form of World Attraction.
The latter maintained his unbeaten record when he ran out a convincing winner of the Listed TAB Storm Bird Stakes (1000m) run at Turffontein on Saturday.
World Attraction, who had won his only previous start by over seven and a quarter lengths, duly made it two out of two with a smooth performance in Sunday’s contest.
Under Callan Murray, the Mike and Mathew De Kock trained colt raced keen early before hitting the front close home.
From there, World Attraction kept galloping strongly to claim the 2026 Storm Bird Stakes by nearly a length and three-quarters.
Bred by Etienne Braun, Neville Cooper and Wayne Mealing, World Attraction races for ASSM Racing Syndicate (Nom: Mr A Chadha), Messrs M F de Kock, T Gujadhur, G Ragunan, Mrs N P Malherbe & Wernars Family.
World Attraction, who is out of the Vercingetorix mare Major Attraction, was a R1 500 000 buy from the 2025 Summer Sale.
His sire One World, South Africa’s Leading First Season Sire of 2023-2024 and Leading Second Season Sire of 2024-2025, has been responsible for at least one stakes winner in each of his first three crops.
The champion son of Captain Al has 12 lots on offer at the Premier Yearling Sale, and a further ten lots on sale at the National Yearling Sale.