Ridgemont Highlands’ very exciting young sire Rafeef came up with his second graded stakes winner this year when his son Aragosta ran out a convincing winner of Saturday’s G3 Sea Cottage Stakes (1800m) at Turffontein.
Rafeef had previously enjoyed graded stakes success when son William Robertson captured January 1st’s G3 Tony Ruffel Stakes.

Both Aragosta and William Robertson are members of Rafeef’s first crop.

Third in the G2 World Sports Betting Dingaans last time out, the Wilgerbosdrift & Mauritzfontein bred Aragosta powered home, under Richard Fourie, to win the 2022 Sea Cottage Stakes by a neck over stablemate Clafoutis.

Trained by Mike de Kock (who described his charge as a Derby horse in the post-race interview), Aragosta has now won three of just five starts.

Out of the Galileo mare Miss Galidora, Aragosta was a R220 000 buy from the 2020 National Yearling Sale.

South Africa’s Leading Second Season Sire of 2021-2022, Rafeef is also responsible for the progressive filly Juliet Tango -who thrashed G3 Flamboyant Stakes winner Zimbaba when running out a three length winner of a progress plate at the Vaal earlier in the week.