Ridgemont Highlands enjoyed some fantastic results at the 2023 Cape Premier Yearling Sale Powered by Tattersalls, which took place at the Cape Town International Convention Centre on Thursday.
The farm ended the one day sale as third Leading Vendors by Aggregate, with Ridgemont Highlands selling eight yearlings for an aggregate of R3.8 million.
Top lot sold by Ridgemont Highlands at the Premier Sale was the Rafeef colt El Capitan, offered for sale as Lot 117 (above and below).
A half-brother to the Ridgemont Highlands bred Listed City Of Cape Town Summer Juvenile Stakes/Listed East Cape Nursery winner Cliff Top, who had won again prior to the catalogue being printed, El Capitan was knocked down to Hollywoodbets, who race Cliff Top himself, for R1 000 000.
El Capitan is out of the Western Winter mare Baqueira, a winning own sister to G2 Choice Carriers Fillies Championship/G2 Sceptre Stakes heroine Cold As Ice (also victorious in Britain) and half-sister to another Sceptre Stakes winner in the form of Live Life.
Ridgemont Highlands also sold the blue blooded Superhero (Lot 69) for R800 000, with that Futura colt snapped up by Sabine Plattner. From one of the best families in the Australian stud book, Superhero is a full-brother to 2021 G3 WSB Variety Club Mile winner Warrior, who finished a close-up third in the recent G2 Anthonij Rupert Wyne Premier Trophy and who rates a likely contender for the upcoming G1 WSB Cape Town Met.
Out of the Commands sired Swallow Stakes winner Nona In Command, Superhero is also a three-parts brother to G3 Prix du Cap/G3 Poinsettia Stakes victress Pretty Young Thing.
Ridgemont Highlands’ sensational resident sire Rafeef also enjoyed a great Premier Sale. The G1 winning son of Redoute’s Choice was not only responsible for the R1 000 000 buy El Capitan, but had four yearlings make upwards of R500 000.
Ridgemont Highlands also sold the Rafeef colt Sicily (Lot 115) for R550 000, with that colt knocked down to Form Bloodstock’s Jehan Malherbe.
Rafeef ended the 2023 Cape Premier Yearling Sale as third Leading Sire by Aggregate, with his 10 yearlings selling for a gross total of R4.925 million.
The Ridgemont Highlands’ resident sire also sported an impressive average at this year’s Premier Sale, with Rafeef yearlings fetching an average price of R492 500 at Thursday’s auction.
