KANNEMEYER’S RAFEEF

The DK Racing Syndicate look to have another very smart 2yo on their hands after the Rafeef colt Outlaw King slammed his field to win the R400 000 Bloodstock SA Sales Cup (C&G) at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on Saturday.

Classic trainer Dean Kannemeyer established the syndicate some years ago and struck gold early with the smart Vercingetorix galloper African Warrior.

Since then they have enjoyed a number of decent horses for relatively modest outlays and Outlaw King looks like he could be the best yet.

Sent to lead early, Outlaw King (5-2) stretched clear and went further ahead under the hands to win unextended by 3,75 lengths in a time of 73,67 secs.

Zoomie (6-1) stayed on next best ahead of Kyomai (40-1), East Cape visitor War Launch (14-1) and 100-1 Tyrion Lannister, who banked the final stakes cheque of R10 000 in fifth.

Winning Form rider Keagan de Melo rides winners for the top yards all round the country and confirmed that Outlaw King ranks as the best he has sat on so far.

“I liked him when he won on debut. But he has improved!”added De Melo.

Dean Kannemeyer thanked Cape Racing, BSA and his owners who had travelled from near and far, including UK-based Martin Holland, who seldom misses a local meeting.

“He looks like an exciting horse and what a sire Rafeef is! We don’t know how strong the opposition is, but he could have done much less than he did and won. So we are happy and we are always trying to find them. And well done to Jehan Malherbe and Jane Thomas, who was in the team that found him.”

Bred by James Armitage, the R300 000 National Yearling Sale graduate is a son of exciting Ridgemont Highlands Redoute’s Choice stallion Rafeef out of the four-time winning Greys Inn mare, Way Of Escape.

The dam won up to 2000m and Keagan de Melo seemed confident the colt will go further. So there is scope for plenty of fun in the SA Champions Season.

Outlaw King has won 2 from 2 and took his stakes bank to R321 250.