Ridgemont’s exciting young stallion Rafeef had a good double at Turffontein on Tuesday, with the stallion’s sons Real Relief and Black Egret winning the first and seventh races respectively on the card.
A well-backed favourite for Tuesday’s 4Racing Welcomes You Maiden Juvenile Plate (1160m), the Brett Crawford-trained Real Relief was always up with the pace in Tuesday’s contest, and, when asked the question by champion-jockey elect Keagan De Melo, the colt quickened up smartly to win convincingly by just over a length and a quarter.
Bred by Limestone Thoroughbred Trust, Real Relief (who is held in high regard by his connections) had finished second on his only previous start and he looks a nice sort in the making.
Out of the Var mare Heritage Wood (and thus bred on the same cross as G1 winners Master Archie and Thunderstruck), Real Relief was an R130 000 buy from the 2022 National Yearling Sale.
He is the sixth two-year-old winner this season for his G1 Computaform Sprint winning sire Rafeef, whose current crop of juveniles also includes the promising Outlaw King and G3 Pretty Polly Stakes winner Leaving Las Vegas.
Rafeef’s second success on Tuesday came when his three-year-old son Black Egret captured the seventh race at Turffontein, the Racehorse Owners Association MR 82 Handicap over 1100 metres.
Trained by Ashley Fortune, Black Egret raced in second for much of the running in Tuesday’s race, before being produced Raymond Danielson with a sustained run to win going away by a length and a quarter.
Bred by Wilgerbosdrift & Mauritzfontein, the strapping Black Egret is out of the Silvano mare Water Bird. The gelding has now won twice and has a further seven placings from his ten starts.
South Africa’s Leading First Season Sire of 2020-2021, Rafeef (whose first crop produced the G1 winners Aragosta and Master Archie) has been responsible for six stakes winners this season including graded stakes winners Leaving Las Vegas, Shantastic, Union Square and William Robertson.
His success on the racetrack has translated to the sales ring, with Rafeef yearlings making up to R725 000 at this year’s National Yearling Sale.
The son of Redoute’s Choice has five lots on offer at the 2023 KZN Yearling Sale.