Champion Rafeef Retiring to Highlands Stud
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Photo: Courtesy of Shadwell
Rafeef winning the grade 1 Computaform Sprint
Shadwell Farm's grade 1 winner and champion Rafeef has been retired from racing and will enter stud at Highlands Stud near Cape Town, South Africa. He will stand for R50,000 in 2017.
The 4-year-old son of sire of sires Redoute's Choice is out of National Colour, the 2006 South African Horse of the Year and champion 3-year-old filly. Rafeef is a full brother to grade 1 winner Mustaaqeem, who was also raced by Shadwell.
Rafeef retires with six wins in 10 starts and a career high rating of 116. Trained by Mike de Kock, the colt won four of his six starts during the 2016-17 season, including the Computaform Sprint (G1) over 1,000 meters and the grade 2 Hawaii Stakes over 1,400 meters. In his only start at over 1,600 meters, Rafeef finished fourth in the Oppenheimer Horse Chestnut Stakes (G1) to champion miler and Horse of the Year Legal Eagle.
Australian-bred Rafeef was honored recently at the Highveld Feature Season Awards as Horse of the Year, champion sprinter, and champion older horse.
De Kock said Rafeef showed his brilliance early and throughout his training.
"We saw only a glimpse of that in the Computaform Sprint and I have no doubt that he would have won many more grade 1's had he been kept in training," the trainer said. "He has the 'wow' looks to go with his 'wow' ability."