The turf history books will record that Run Fox Run’s breathtaking victory when beating the best of the fast set of both sexes in the Gr1 Cape Flying Championship in January was to be the Ridgemont speed queen’s sensational swansong after an illustrious track career.
Craig Kieswetter confirmed to the Sporting Post on Tuesday morning that the whispers in local breeding circles this week are true – their outstanding sprinter had run her last race on Cape Town Met day.
Gr1 swansong – Run Fox Run wins the Gr1 Cape Flying Championship at her last appearance (Pic – Chase Liebenberg)
The plans are that Run Fox Run will be transferring to the lush paddocks of the family’s Barnane Stud in County Tipperary, Ireland, where the daughter of Foxwedge is destined for a first covering with Frankel or Kingman.
The Ridgemont’s star sprinter’s proposed Juddmonte suitors are two of the world’s most exciting sires.
The undefeated Galileo champion Frankel requires little introduction.
He reached 40 Northern Hemisphere Group winners faster than any other European stallion in the history of the Pattern Racing structure and boasts an impressive 11% Group winners to runners, and 14% black-type winners to runners. Frankel is the sire of 12 Gr1 winners to date.
Invincible Spirit’s son Kingman sired two classic winners from his first two crops and boasts 16 stakes winners in 2020, including Gr1 winners Persian King, Palace Pier, Timeform’s top-rated 3YO, and Domestic Spending.
“Run Fox Run is a beautifully bred athletic mare and has nothing more to prove on the track. She has given us so much pleasure and we could not have scripted her final Cape appearance better. Bowing out with a dazzling Grade 1 victory on Met day was the cherry on the top. She will prove a valuable asset to our international broodmare band. We have exciting plans for her going forward, which will include sending her to the very best of blood in the UK,” added Craig Kieswetter.
He said that Ridgemont were most appreciative of the role played by trainer Brett Crawford and his team, as well as jockeys Anton Marcus and Greg Cheyne in the flying machine’s turf career.
With her trainer and champion jockey lauding her ability, Run Fox Run rounded off a smashing career record that boasted eight wins from just eleven starts, in the Gr1 Cape Flying Championship on that sunny end January Kenilworth Saturday.
Bred by Mill Park, Quality TB Joint Venture, SA, Run Fox Run was an A$420,000 buy from the 2017 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale.
She is the fourth Gr1 winner for Fastnet Rock’s Gr1 winning son Foxwedge, who boasts Gr1 winners in three different countries, and near 40 international stakes performers.
Run Fox Run is out of General Nediym mare Victory Cry – dam also of Heritage Stakes winner Guard Of Honour, and a full-sister to the stakes winning Victory Chant.
The first chapter of an unfolding champion fairytale has been written. We await the next with bated breath.
All images courtesy of Chase Liebenberg Photography
