High Hawaii On Cards For Rafeef’s Son
Trainer Corne Spies is quietly confident that Rafeef’s smart son William Robertson will do well in Saturday’s R400,000 WSB Gr2 Hawaii Stakes in Turffontein.
With a R1m carry-over likely to put the six exotic winners in a R6m pool, there’s plenty to look forward to on Classic Day and William Robertson looks set for a good 1400m performance , after breaking the 1160m class record at the same distance on Sunday as he emerges from a break following the Gr1 Summer Cup.
Rafeef son William Robertson looks ready for a big run in the WSB Hawaii Stakes on Classic Day (Image – JC Photos)
“I would have preferred an extra week between prep and Saturday’s Hawaii, but that’s how Mother Nature dealt the cards and we have to hope and trust that it will work out,” Spies said Sporting contribution earlier this week.
In preparation for Saturday’s feature film, William Robertson showed scintillating pace in a 1,160-yard pinnacle stakes.
The gelding, bred in the Ridgemont Highlands, secured his seventh career win, setting a new class record in the process and, despite ring rust and all his 60kg, ran within 0.16 seconds of Big Sky Country’s under 54kg course record for the year 2020
Jockey Marco van Rensburg described William Robertson as “the best sprinter in South Africa”.
“He didn’t embarrass himself in the Summer Cup, but he’s at his optimum at about 1200m to a mile. I think he’s a Gr1 horse and we’ll be looking at the Computaform Sprint and/or the HF Oppenheimer Horse Chestnut Stakes. He’s just such a lovely horse. His father Rafeef is a real stallion. I’d love to have a stall full of these – I just can’t always afford them as the market loves the Rafeefs and we all know they’re versatile and can walk like hell!” enthuses trainer Corne Spies.
(Lawn) R400 000 1400 m 13:55 Ref-623
1st R250000, 2nd R80000, 3rd R40000, 4th R20000, 5th R10000
WORLDWIDE SPORTS BETTING HAWAII Stakes (Grade 2)
Open
WFA: 3 years – 3 kg 4 years – 0 kg
No apprentice/female gender allowance
| 1 | 10 | Puerto Manzano (ARG) | 60 | 123 | B.A | Keagan de Melo | JA Janse van Vuuren | |
| 2 | 11 | MK’s pride | 60 | 122 | A | Ryan Munger | Robbie Sage | |
| 3 | 5 | Red Saxon | 60 | 116 | A | S’manga Khumalo | Joe Soma | |
| 4 | 3 | William Robertson | 59 | 125 | HA | Marco V’Rensburg | Corne Spies | |
| 5 | 7 | Binwa | 59 | 123 | B.A | Gavin Lerena | JA Janse van Vuuren | |
| 6 | 12 | Forever Mine | 58 | 107 | A | Craig Zackey | Mike de Kock | |
| 7 | 2 | Irish tractor | 58 | 102 | B.A | Kabelo Matsuyane | Brett Crawford | |
| 8th | 13 | team gold | 58 | 102 | A | Raymond Danielson | Roy Magner | |
| 9 | 8th | under your spell | 56.5 | 114 | THE | Luyolo Mxothwa | Sean Tarry | |
| 10 | 9 | Humdinger | 56.5 | 103 | A | Richard Fourie | Mike de Kock | |
| 11 | 6 | tone of warning | 55.5 | 110 | A | Juan Paul v’d Merwe | Sean Tarry | |
| 12 | 4 | ounces | 55 | 108 | A | *Kaidan Brewer | Robbie Sage | |
| 13 | 1 | captain peg | 52.5 | 106 | A | *Philasande Mxoli | Stuart Pettigrew | |
| Same trainer | ||||||||
| (1.5) (2.12) (6.10) (9.11) | ||||||||
As a Highveld Champion, Rafeef got his stud career off to a flying start when his first crop produced Gr1 WSB SA Derby winner Aragosta and Gr1 Computaform Sprint winner Master Archie.
The Redoute’s Choice son had a great run and one of the standout winners in SplashOut Cape Derby day at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth last Saturday was his undefeated son Outlaw King.
Outlaw King won the BSA Yearling Sale Cup (C&G), following in the footsteps of Rafeef’s daughter Mounia, who won the 2021 BSA Cape Yearling Sale Cup.
Keagan de Melo wonders where the opposition is as Outlaw King storms home (Image – Candies Lenferna)
A handsome and powerful racehorse with the rare distinction of being premier Gr1 winners at 1000m and 2450m, Rafeef has produced a purple patch of winners to underpin a brilliant start to a top-class stud career.
Trainer Dean Kannemeyer saddled Outlaw King for his second straight win, saying in typically conservative fashion that “we always keep our feet on the ground but he certainly looks very smart”.
Kannemeyer confirmed that he has already had success with Rafeef’s offspring, including Pas De Nom, who ran three at the trot, and the very well-bred Ready Or Not.
“Rafeef is extremely well trained and had the track performance to match. He throws a nice specimen and my experience is only positive. As shown by his elite winners over a wide range of distances, he brings an interesting mix of natural speed and seems to give something back to the mare, be it endurance or speed. Outlaw King is out of a Greys Inn mare so could have some exciting times ahead for the DK Racing Syndicate with his two crucial 1200m wins.”
The veteran said he didn’t expect Outlaw King to win on the debut.
“He raised his hand that he was ready to race. He deservedly won. I rode with him on Saturday expecting a place and then he improves and rises and beats the field. This is exciting and I have four unridden Rafeefs waiting in the wings!” said Kannemeyer.
Outlaw King is one of three 2-year-old winners for Rafeef this season, with the Ridgemont Highlands resident also siring debut winner Midnight Fusion and lightweight youngest winner Troppo Veloce.