Calvin Habib and Sean Tarry made it a glorious Gr1 double at Hollywoodbets Scottsville on Saturday when Rafeef’s upwardly mobile son Thunderstruck stormed to a facile victory in the R500 000 Gr1 Gold Medallion.
Just over a half hour after Sweet Pepper had bounded home in the Allan Robertson Championship, the Tarry-Habib combination produced the fireworks again as Thunderstruck (4-1) turned on the jets to beat Corrie Lensley maiden Now I Got You (25-1) by 2,90 lengths in a time 68,87 secs.
Another Gr1! Calvin Habib steers Thunderstruck home in style (Pic – Candiese Lenferna)
Time Thief’s son Ocean Time (50-1) added telephone numbers to the trifecta in third, with his stablemate Captain Bombshell (33-1) rounding off a handsome quartet.
The fancied Prophet (2-1) appeared to find it tight on the running rail as the leaders drifted in and was never going like a winner.
A recent BSA May Online Auction recordbreaker at R1 241 000 as part of the Javett Dispersal, the Avontuur-bred Thunderstruck was originally acquired for R1 million BSA National Yearling Sale in 2021 by Form Bloodstock.
Thunderstruck has now 2 races with a place from his 3 starts. His stakes bank is R367 250.
And what a season it is turning out to for Ridgemont Highlands’ Redoutes Choice stallion Rafeef!
In May he sired Aragosta to win the WSB Gr1 SA Derby over 2450m and then just weeks later Master Archie stormed to victory in South Africa’s fastest Grade 1, the R1 million Computaform Sprint.
Now his 2yo son Thunderstruck comes out to carry the flame further.
Avontuur’s late super sire VAR (Forest Wildcat) again reinforced his Broodmare Sire claims as the winner’s five-time winning dam Varikate, with a career peak success in the Gr2 Post Merchants, showed what she is capable of.
The Hollywoodbets Scottsville Festival Of Speed has certainly been a happy hunting ground for Avontuur in the 21st century.
Thunderstruck looks very smart and this won’t be the last we have heard from him.
Rafeef has a single lot on the CTS Farm Yearling Sale (19 June) and five lots on the KZN Yearling Sale at Suncoast on 30 June.
Watch the replay here:
