Expect Them To Be Front & Centre!

Below are detailed notes on the individual lots:

Lot 3: Cadenza – colt by Rafeef out of Casadesus:

By the same sire as Gr1 winners Aragosta, Master Archie and Thunderstruck, as well as recent G2 Dingaans winner Union Square, Cadenza hails from a truly exceptional female line. She is out of the smart race mare Casadesus, who won three times up to 1600m. Already the dam of three winners, Casadesus is a half-sister to four black type horses including Gr3 winner Offenbach (the latter’s sire Danehill also ranks as the grandsire of Rafeef).

The granddam Push A Venture, a daughter of outstanding broodmare sire Shirley Heights, was a half-sister to none other than the dam of legendary racehorse and top-class sire Rock Of Gibraltar. The latter, a son of Danehill, won a record breaking seven Gr1 races in a row, and was Cartier “Horse Of The Year” in 2002.

The classically bred Casadesus is by dual Derby winner High Chaparral, who also ranks as the broodmare sire of recent Gr1 Longines Hong Kong Mile winner California Spangle.

Lot 9: Umfula – colt by Canford Cliffs ex Cool River:

This colt shares his five-time Gr1-winning sire Canford Cliffs with a host of high-class performers, including group/graded stakes winners Cliff’s Edge, La Falaise, Crystal Cliffs, Fish River, Jin Jin, and champion Cima Emergency.

Umfula is also bred on the same Canford Cliffs/Western Winter cross as multiple stakes winner Cliff Top, one of his leading performers from his first South African-sired crop.

Cool River, the dam of Umfula, has already produced four multiple winners, headed by Listed KZN Guineas Trial winner Stream Ahead and the stakes placed, five-time winner Zambezi Rapids. The three time-winning Cool River, herself a daughter of Roland’s Song Stakes winner Riviersonderend, is bred on very similar lines to Gr2 winner Humdinger and speedy Milkwood Stakes heroine Glacier Gold. The latter pair were sired by Western Winter’s son What A Winter and are out of Cool River’s stakes winning half-sister Himalayan Hill.

Umfula hails from a high-class family with his relatives including the very successful stallion Crafty Prospector, and G1 winners Bond Holder, Wild Spirit and outstanding South African sire, VAR.

Lot 15: African Memoir – colt by Canford Cliffs x Dinesen:

This colt is a son of sensational miler and five-time Gr1 winner Canford Cliffs, whose progeny have earned more than $34 million in prize money. A half-brother to 2 winners, African Memoir is out of the smart four-time winner and Listed East Cape Paddock Stakes runner-up, Dinesen.

Dinesen, a daughter of the Al Mufti sired Divine Nymph herself is a half-sister to six stakes horses, including Gr1 SA Classic winner Divine Jury and Ruffian Stakes victress Velvet Hue. The latter has also made a name for herself at stud as the dam of G3 Champagne Stakes victress Phil’s Dancer.”

Lot 29: Wing Walker – colt by Rafeef ex Fly Phillippa

Ridgemont Highlands’ resident stallion Rafeef has proved a revelation at stud. The leading First and Second Season Sire of his year, Rafeef’s stellar first crop produced Gr1 winners Aragosta and Master Archie, as well as the top-class millionaire William Robertson, while his second crop includes G1 Gold Medallion winner Thunderstruck and this season’s Gr2 Jonsson Workwear Dingaans winner Union Square.

Rafeef has a very well bred son on offer at the Premier Sale this year in the form of Wing Walker. The latter, who shares his broodmare sire Dynasty with the likes of Charles Dickens and Wild Coast, is a half-brother to the speedy Winter Flight, a stakes-placed winner of six. Wing Walker is out of the stakes placed Dynasty mare Fly Phillippa, a full-sister to the Gr3 placed Dame Kelly.

The blue-blooded Fly Phillippa is also a half-sister to a pair of graded stakes winning two-year-olds as well as this season’s Listed Topbet Spring Spree Stakes winner Team Gold, and further back, this is the family of outstanding US sire Exclusive Native and a host of international Gr1 winners.

 Lot 31: Show Off – colt by Canford Cliffs x Front And Centre

This colt, a son of outstanding miler Canford Cliffs, is the first foal of Ridgemont’s brilliant race mare Front And Centre. A half-sister to G1 Premier’s Champion Stakes winner, and successful sire, Potala Palace, Front And Centre (by outstanding sire and emerging broodmare sire Dynasty) won her first four starts, culminating in a scintillating win in the 2018 Gr1 World Sports Betting Fillies Guineas. The classy Front And Centre went on to capture the Gr3 Diana Stakes and ended her career having banked more than R1.448 million in earnings.

Front And Centre, who is from the immediate family of English classic winners Golan (2000 Guineas) and North Light (Epsom Derby), is directly descended in female line from one of the greatest mares in the stud book – Simons Shoes. The latter features as the ancestress of numerous star performers including the breed-shaping sires Sadler’s Wells, Nureyev and Fairy King.

Show Off’s five-time G1 winning sire Canford Cliffs has sired group/graded stakes winners in all of Australia, Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, and South Africa.

Lot 43: Unnamed colt by Rafeef ex Hope Solo:

Redoute’s Choice’s top-class son Rafeef has some cracking lots on offer at the 2023 Cape Premier Yearling Sale. One such lot is the colt out of the winning Silvano mare Hope Solo, a three-parts sister to Listed Jamaica Handicap/East Coast Handicap winner Epona. Hope Solo is herself a half-sister to dual G2 Hawaii Stakes winner Whiteline Fever, who earned more than R1.8 million in stakes.

Hope Solo’s dam Hockey Corner was herself a half-sister to outstanding broodmare Laptop Lady –dam not only of the aforementioned Epona, but also graded stakes winners Barrack Street and Cyber Case, and, more importantly, the mighty Jay Peg. The latter, a champion in South Africa, went on to win Gr1 races in three different countries, including triumphs in the Gr1 Cape Guineas, Gr1 Cape Derby, Gr1 Dubai Duty Free and G1 Singapore Airlines International Cup.

Lot 57: All About Love – colt by Trippi ex Let Me Love You:

Former champion sire Trippi is enjoying a fantastic season in 2022-2023. The End Sweep son’s current flagbearers include sensational three-year-old Charles Dickens, multiple Gr1 winning champion Jet Dark, top-class miler Trip Of Fortune and high-class fillies Santa Maria and Sound Of Warning. Currently sire of more than 80 stakes winners, Trippi is no stranger to sales ring success, and has had yearlings make up to R6 000 000.

He is represented here by All About Love, a colt with a classic pedigree. All About Love is out a Silvano own sister to Gr1 SA Derby winner Seal and half-sister to two other stakes winners notably Jet Master Stakes winner Fifty Cents. The latter, like All About Love, was sired by Trippi making the two three-parts brothers. This colt’s granddam Prestine Performer is also second dam of current high-class galloper, and 2022 Summer Cup contender, Raiseahallelujah.

Lot 69: Colt – Superhero – colt by Futura ex Nona In Command:

The blue-blooded Superhero is truly bred to be anything. A son of champion Futura, whose three-year-olds this season include the likes of Le Morne and Rockpool, he is a full-brother to G3 WSB Variety Club Mile winner, Warrior. The latter, himself a R1.2 million Cape Premier Sale buy, accounted for July/Met winning star Kommetdieding when victorious in the 2021 Cape Mile (now a Gr3 contest).

Also a three-parts brother to Gr3 Prix Du Cap/Gr3 Poinsettia Stakes winner Pretty Young Thing (also sired by a son of Dynasty), Superhero is out of Swallow Stakes winner Nona In Command. A daughter of top Australian sire Commands, Nona In Command hails from one of the very best families in the Australian stud book.

Lot 85: Sir Korski – colt by Rafeef ex Samarate:

Few, if any, yearlings on offer at the upcoming Cape Premier Yearling Sale, hail from a stronger and more impressive female line than Sir Korski. This blue-blooded colt is directly descended from outstanding race mare and producer Fanfreluche – Canada’s “Horse Of The Year” in 1970. Among the numerous star performers descended from Fanfreluche are champion sire Encosta De Lago and fellow G1 winners Aube Indienne, Hi Happy, I Am A Star and Pear Tart.

Sir Korski’s dam, the Fastnet Rock mare Samarate, is very closely related to the Fastnet Rock sired New Zealand Derby winner Sherwood Forest, with both horses descending in female line from the Secretariat mare L’On Vite.

Danehill, grandsire of Rafeef, enjoyed great success when mated to mares from this family, with this cross producing such standout Gr1 winners and sires Flying Spur and Holy Roman Emperor to name but two.

This is also the family of dual Gr1 winner, and promising sire Erupt, as well as the now Coolmore Australia based dual Gr1 winning sprinter Home Affairs.

Lot 91: Run The World – colt by One World x Six Blue Notes:

Champion One World looks to be a very attractive addition to the South African stallion band. One of more than 100 stakes winners sired by multiple champion South African sire Captain Al, One World won 10 of just 14 starts including the 2020 Gr1 Sun Met. Equus Champion Older Male of 2019-2020, One World shares his outstanding broodmare sire Giant’s Causeway with sensational US sire, Gun Runner.

His son, Run The World, is a half-brother to five winners including the stakes placed Studio Blues. His dam Six Blue Notes showed high-class form at two, running third in both the Gr1 Golden Slipper and Gr1 Thekwini Fillies Stakes. Six Blue Notes was sired by Qui Danzig, whose daughters have produced such top-flight Gr1 winners as champion Via Africa (dam of Australian Gr1 winner In The Congo), Buy And Sell, Count The Money and Pierre Jourdan.

Lot 100: Unnamed Colt by Futura ex Sweet Red:

Ridgemont Highlands have already struck Premier Sale gold with a son of Futura, having sold subsequent Gr3 winner Warrior for R1 200 000 at the 2019 Cape Premier Yearling Sale. They will be offering another son of Dynasty’s champion son at this year’s Premier Sale, with this colt’s first two dams sired by champion Australian sires Snitzel and Encosta De Lago.

His dam Sweet Red is a Snitzel winning half-sister to smart Australian galloper Superare and Sweet Red also ranks as a three-parts sister to Gr3 SAJC South Australian Fillies Classic winner Mimi’s Award (sired by a son of Snitzel). Sweet Red is herself out of a stakes winning daughter of multiple Leading Broodmare Sire Encosta De Lago and she is bred on the same Snitzel/Encosta De Lago cross as the Gr1 winners Invader, Sword Of State and Summer Passage.

Lot 109: Kaisarissa – colt by Vercingetorix ex Whatalady:

Equus Champion Vercingetorix had a phenomenal season in 2021-2022, when finishing second, to his sire Silvano, on the General Sires List. The 2014 Gr1 Jebel Hatta winner was responsible for 14 black type winners in South Africa last season, his stakes winners picking up no fewer than 21 South African black type races in 2021-2022.

His champion son Cousin Casey, winner of both the Gr1 Premiers Champion Stakes and Gr2 Durban Golden Horseshoe at two, remains a great flagbearer for his sire, having claimed the Gr2 Cape Punters Cup on his first start at three.

Vercingetorix colt Kaisarissa is out of a top-class daughter of multiple champion sire Jet Master and is bred on the same Vercingetorix/Jet Master cross as millionaire African Warrior and Gr1 Daily News 2000 runner up Padre Pio.

His dam Whatalady won five times including the Gr3 Acacia Handicap and is a half-sister to graded stakes winners Fort Vogue and Prince Of Kahal.

Remarkably, Kaisarissa’s first three dams were all high-class stakes performers, with granddam Vogue finishing second in the Gr1 SA Fillies Sprint and third dam Thousand Nights capturing the now Gr3 Jubilee Handicap.

Lot 115: Sicily – colt by Rafeef ex Baltia:

Rafeef colt Sicily has a very attractive pedigree. Bred on the same Rafeef/Var cross as Gr1 Gold Medallion winner Thunderstruck and Gr1 Computaform Sprint hero Master Archie, this colt is out of a winning daughter of Gr3 Kenilworth Fillies Nursery third place getter Baltic Beauty.

The latter, a daughter of high-class broodmare sire Windrush, is a full-sister to Equus Champion, and four-time Gr1 winner Mother Russia. The latter, despite dying young, also left her mark at stud, through her champion daughter, and dual G1 Empress Club Stakes winner, Nother Russia.

This is also the family of Equus “Horse Of The Year” Winter Solstice, and the Derby winners Bravura and Tribesman.

Lot 117: El Capitan – colt by Rafeef ex Baqueira:

A half-brother to Listed Summer Juvenile Stakes/Listed East Cape Nursery winner Cliff Top, El Capitan, closely inbred to successful sire National Assembly, El Capitan is out of a winning own sister to the brilliant Cold As Ice.

A winner on two different continents, Cold As Ice won five of just seven starts in South Africa including the Gr2 Choice Carriers Fillies Championship and Sceptre Stakes, and was beaten just a head when runner up in the 2015 Gr1 Klawervlei Majorca Stakes (beating among others multiple Equus Champion Carry On Alice).

Her sister Baquiera also numbers R4 million plus earner Live Life (like Cold As Ice, winner of the Gr2 Sceptre Stakes) as a half-sister.