The breeding shed at Ridgemont has been a hive of activity in recent months.
Since the covering season started on 1 September, mares have been arriving from all over the country for a liaison with one of the stud’s sires, and what a grand collection they are!
Rafeef (Pic – Bay Media)
Top of the pops is of course Rafeef, the Australian-bred son of Redoute’s Choice and our own National Colour.
Already sire of 24 stakes winners, he has firmly established himself amongst the country’s elite stallions, to the extent that top mares are flocking to him, even at an advertised fee of a cool R120 000 a jump.
Colt by Rafeef x Icy Winter Air (Pic – Supplied)
That comes as no surprise, as he can give you Gr1 winning sprinters of the likes of William Robertson, Master Archie and Thunderstruck, as well as a Gr1 Derby winner in Aragosta.
Rafeef’s latest sensation is the Ridgemont bred 3yo filly Reet Petite, who capped her third win on the trot to maintain her unbeaten record at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on Monday, and is likely to line up in the Gr1 Cape Fillies Guineas on 6 December.
As the stud’s Craig Carey commented: “Rafeef has been extremely popular amongst breeders yet again and should cover the most mares in South Africa for the fourth year in a row. He is very fertile and continues to deliver. The quality of mares he is covering is second to none.”
Thunderstruck (Pic – Bay Media)
Standing alongside his sire is none other than aforementioned Thunderstruck, a brilliantly-fast sprinter who leaped into the Gr1 ranks as a juvenile with a smooth three-length victory in the Gold Medallion.
He proved he was no flash-in-the-pan juvenile by emulating his sire in the Gr1 Computaform Sprint, whilst finishing second in the Gr1 Golden Horse Sprint and Cape Flying Championship, and third in the Gr1 Mercury Sprint.
Colt by Thunderstruck x Granny’s Moon (Pic – Supplied)
As a dual Gr1 winning sprinter, it’s no wonder that Ridgemont jumped at the opportunity to add Thunderstruck to its stallion roster.
His first foals arrived this season and as Carey remarked: “His foals are very athletic and have their father’s class. Much like his sire, Thunderstruck is popular and will cover around 120 mares. He is extremely fertile and a pleasure to work with.”
Hit The Road (Pic – Bay Media)
Another stallion prospect welcomed in 2024, albeit with less fanfare, was American import Hit The Road. Like champion Gimmethegreenlight, he is a son of More Than Ready and likewise, proved himself a miler of note.
A stakes winner on turf at two, three and four, his signature victory came in the Gr1 Frank E Kilroe Mile Stakes at Santa Anita His pedigree too, is out of the top drawer – his dam is a half-sister to Gr1 Dewhurst winner and sire War Command, besides which he boasts the same female line as Drakenstein’s champion Charles Dickens.
Although the bay entered stud somewhat under the radar, breeders took note of his accomplishments and pedigree, and he ended up with a respectable first book of over 60 mares.
Colt by Hit The Road x Two Pennies (Pic – Supplied)
“Hit the Road has been a wonderful surprise his foals are very impressive as a whole and he is giving them plenty of scope, good legs and good bone,” Carey said.
“We have given him the odd mare that lacked an inch and he is definitely upgrading them. He is extremely fertile and his enthusiasm is second to none. Because of the quality of foals we have earmarked more mares for him.
“As a breeder waiting for the first babies of any sire and then changing matings to what we see and feel , he has certainly got our attention.”
Whilst Thunderstruck and Hit The Road are still in their infant shoes so to speak, two Ridgemont stallions who will debut with their first runners this season are freshmen Malmoos and Real Gone Kid.
The former, a R4,4 million National Yearling Sale graduate impressed from the moment he stepped onto the racetrack and retired to stud a Triple Crown winner.
As the last Gr1 winning colt sired by Captain Al, and out of a stakes-winning Fort Wood half-sister to Master Of My Fate, he was always going to be a valuable stallion prospect and after securing the handsome bay, it came as no surprise that he received an outstanding response from local breeders.
Malmoos (Pic – Bay Media)
“Malmoos has all the credentials to be an elite stallion and he has enjoyed very solid support from the first day he went to stud,” Carey confirmed.
“He has high class foals and is definitely upgrading his mares. We are very excited about his future, and so far all reports are positive. He will cover another large book of mares. He loves his work and is very fertile.”
In addition to Malmoos, Ridgemont welcomed Australian-bred Real Gone Kid into the stallion barn in 2022.
Colt by Malmoos x Imperious Destiny (Pic – Supplied)
Trained by Brett Crawford, this powerful chestnut proved himself a lightning-fast performer, winning six races up to 1250m and whilst his resume lacked that all-important black type win, his cast-iron pedigree always guaranteed him a place at stud.
A son of multiple champion sire Snitzel, his dam is the South African champion In The Fast Lane. By seven-times champion stallion Jet Master, she claimed both the Gr1 Cape Fillies Guineas and Gr1 Woolavington 2000 and traces to the famed blue hen Party Time.
Real Gone Kid (Pic – Bay Media)
“Real Gone Kid will have his first runners soon and we hope they are as quick as they look,” Carey remarked.
“He has had wonderful support from very knowledgeable breeders and I hope they are all well rewarded. One of the doyens of our breeding world, Duncan Barry, was standing with us while he was covering this past week and was saying how much he reminded him of the great speed sire Harry Hotspur. He too is very fertile and will cover another solid book this season.”
The Robertson stallion barn echoes with the memories of some true legends of the game – names like Persian Wonder, Jallad and Dynasty readily come to mind – and one thing is certain, there is a wealth of talent, both proven and untapped, amongst its current stallion band.