A peach of a creative ride by Ridgemont-Highlands sponsored rider Greg Cheyne gave the top Robertson-based racing team plenty to celebrate when Jackson’s daughter Pretty Young Thing stormed home in the R200 000 Vasco Da Gama Gr3 Prix Du Cap at Kenilworth on Saturday, to give her sire a first graded race success.
The champagne moment was crowned with another Ridgemont Racing home-bred in Gr1 winner Front And Centre, racing without blinkers, coming from lengths back to give the Kieswetter family operation an exacta in the feature.
Greg Cheyne poses as Pretty Young Thing sails to victory (Pic – Chase Liebenberg)
Cheyne overcame the wide gate on Pretty Young Thing (29-4), one of only three 3yo’s in the 1400m feature, and he tracked Helen’s Ideal all the way around.
Into the home run, Cheyne went for broke down the inside rail and it was clear at the 250m marker that it was going to take something very special to catch the leader.
She powered on relentlessly to maintain a 3,50 length advantage at the line in a time of 86,39 secs.
Her topweighted stablemate Front And Centre (57-20) turned on the jets from some lengths back at the 300m but, while gaining fast, had no answers and was well beaten into second.
Longshot Shamrock Wind (33-1) made it a Brett Crawford trifecta when beaten three quarter lengths further back in third.
Ridgemont Racing celebration time! (Pic – Chase Liebenberg)
The winner, now with 4 wins and 3 places to her credit from 9 starts for stakes of R395 250, is out of the twice-winning Commands mare, Nona In Command, and is a second crop daughter of Ridgemont Highlands’ multiple Gr1 winning sire Jackson, one of the best sons of Dynasty.
A winner of all of the Gr1 Investec Cape Derby, Gr1 Daily News 2000 and Gr1 Champions Cup, and from the same family as multiple champion sire Smart Strike and ill-fated South African champion Soft Falling Rain, Jackson has 11 lots on the Cape Yearling Sale on Friday – including a filly (# 44) out of Gr3 Magnolia Handicap winner Fanzene, and a half-brother (# 85) to smart filly Fleeced.
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Gr3 Prix Du Cap (SAf-Gr3)
Kenilworth, South Africa, February 22, R200k, 1400m, turf, good, 1.26.39
1 – PRETTY YOUNG THING (SAF), 53.5, b f 3, Jackson (SAF) – Nona In Command (AUS) by Commands (AUS). Owner Ridgemont (Nom: Mr Wayne Kieswetter); Breeder Highlands; trainer BJ Crawford; jockey G Cheyne
2 – Front And Centre (SAF), 60.0, b f 4, Dynasty (SAF) – Alignment (IRE) by Alzao (USA)
3 – Shamrock Wind (SAF), 57.0, b f 4, Captain Al (SAF) – Juvenescent (USA) by Elusive Quality (USA)
Margins: 3.50, 0.75, 0.50
