Leading Robertson nursery, Ridgemont Highlands, pulled off a notable feat at Kenilworth on Monday afternoon when Ridgemont Highlands bred thoroughbreds filled the first three placings in the fourth race on the card.
The race was won by the blue blooded three-year-old Sage King, from another well related sophomore Silent War with Billionaire finishing third.
Both Sage King and Billionaire are trained by Brett Crawford, while Silent War hails from the yard of Candice Bass-Robinson.
Under Anton Marcus, Sage King powered home to shed his maiden by nearly half a length, with the Dynasty gelding having finished second in each of his two previous starts.
Sage King races in the same blue and white silks carried by Craig and Ross Kieswetter’s 2017 Sun Met winner Whisky Baron, and races in a power partnership of the brothers together with Andy Muddyman, Liam Drew, Richard Hannon, Ross Doyle, Patrick Wynn Jones, David Cox and Mick Flanagan.
Sage King is the eighth winner for the five-time-winning Badger Land mare Sage Blue, also dam of Sage King’s very talented full-brother and sister Sage Throne and Smiling Blues respectively. The former was first past the post in the G2 Gold Circle Derby, before being demoted to second, while Smiling Blue Eyes won three, of just eight starts, including the G2 Gauteng Fillies Guineas and G3 Fillies Mile.
Sage Blue, a half-sister to G1 SA Derby winner Silver Sliver, also ranks as the dam of Equus Champion Russian Sage, winner of both the G1 Cape Derby and G1 Daily News 2000 and runner up in the G1 Bloodstock SA Cape Guineas of his year.
Monday also saw Ridgemont Highlands’ prominent young stallion Rafeef come up with yet another winner when Rafeef’s first crop son Ridge To Reef ran out a convincing winner of the second race on the card, while scoring for Anton Marcus and Patrick Kruyer.
The next opportunity to secure a Ridgemont Highlands bred yearling is at the upcoming Cape Premier Yearling Sale where a consignment of 17 well-bred yearlings will be on offer from the farm.
Images: Chase Liebenberg
