In one of the most courageous displays of resolute galloping seen in the Cape at feature level this summer, Sean Tarry’s Rafeef colt Thunderstruck rounded off a testing campaign for the Randjesfontein raiders when he dug deep in the soft falling rain to hold on for honours in the R600 000 Khaya Stables Gr2 Diadem Stakes.
Thunderstruck digs deep under Richard Fourie as Morne Winnaar threatens on Future Variety (Pic – Candiese Lenferna)
Always in touch and ‘grinding’ in the words of his rider Richard Fourie, Thunderstruck cruised past pacesetter Countdown at the 350m and was then faced with a determined challenge from the year younger Future Variety going into the final 200m.
In what must have felt like an eternity for his connections and supporters, the 8-10 favourite kept his head in front as the composed Fourie kept him straight and striding.
At the line, just 0,30 lengths separated the two with Thunderstruck scoring a memorable success to hold off Morne Winnaar and the chestnut son of Var.
Defending champion Bereave (7-1) ran a cracker to pip the 2022 winner Cosmic Highway (8-1) out of third by a head.
It was a smart prep by Cosmic Highway for his expected Highveld raid on the HF Oppenheimer Gr1 Horse Chestnut Stakes next month.
Thunderstruck has now won 6 races with 7 places from 16 starts for stakes of R1 841 918.
A BSA 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.
A son of Ridgemont’s former freshman champion Rafeef (Redoute’s Choice) the winner is out of Avontuur’s late super sire VAR (Forest Wildcat) five-time winning daughter Varikate, a winner of the Gr2 Post Merchants.
Enjoy the replay:
