A hat-trick at Hollywoodbets Durbanville on Wednesday capped a profitable few days for Ridgemont’s massively popular Redoute’s Choice stallion Rafeef, who looks set for a classic season of some proportions.
After Aldo Domeyer steered the Rafeef colt All The Rage to register his third victory from 5 starts for Candice Bass, it was Richard Fourie who booted home a smart Ridgemont-bred Rafeef mixed-sex double in the following two races, with all three 3yo’s starting favourite and looking to be promising and progressive.
After a promising 1250m debut effort at the course, the Hollywood Racing-owned Beware stepped up to 1500m from an awkward draw at his second start for the Lucky Fish-sponsored Lucinda Woodruff.
The handsome Ridgemont-bred colt is out of the Fastnet Rock mare Andiazi, an unraced Australian-bred half-sister to the lightning fast Veldskoen, who raced in the Ridgemont silks.
A maiden winner over 1250m at the course last month, Rafeef’s daughter Reet Petite was the next star to step out. Dropped out to near last from her 9 draw, and despite having many lengths to find in the run for home, the outstanding filly, who races for her breeders and Devin Heffer, simply turned on the jets and won going away.
Reet Petite is out of the Daylami sired Super Elegant, who raced for Piet Steyn and won the Gr3 Diana Stakes and Gr3 Victress Stakes.
Just 24 hours earlier up on the East Coast, Rafeef was in the news again when his three-year-old daughter Ovation Star, who carries the Hollywood Racing flag, made a winning debut at Hollywoodbets Greyville, and turned the Bet With Tote Open Maiden (F and M) (1200m) into a procession.
Rafeef is snapping at the heels of champions Gimmethegreenlight and Vercingetorix in third on the 3yo Sires Championship table and has some really top-class sophomores carrying his flag this season.
Besides All The Rage, Beware, Reet Petite and Ovation Star, who won in the past 48 hours, Rafeef also boasts impressive debut winners Cognac and Drumnadrochit, the Gr2 SA Nursery second-placer Esteemed, and the unbeaten Easy Tiger.
-ridgemont.co.za
