May 2025 News

Richard on the Double – A Winters Day in Cape Town

Rain, rain, and more rain as race day approached and the chances of racing seemed minimal but score one for the drainage at Kenilworth Racecourse. Although it took two gallop sessions to reach the conclusion that racing would go ahead at Kenilworth Racecourse, racing did, in fact, go ahead.

Step forward Championship chasing Richard Fourie. On a grey, rainy, cold Cape Town day (the best days to go racing in my opinion), with big fields and competitive racing, Richard stepped forward, scoring a double for Crawford Racing. This was also one of the last days of racing for the Dad/Son combination of Brett and James Crawford, as from 01 June 2025 James would be a standalone trainer in his own right.

Of course, standalone in the case of James is a misnomer, as he has a team of experts who keep the stable ticking along when he must travel to Gauteng to have a chat to assistant trainer Timothy Woodruff, to Natal for Champions Season, or to Hong Kong. In Cape Town, Rob Barrett, Mlandeli (Spider) Phaca and Barry Donnelly holds down the fort when James goes globetrotting.

SWEET CONIFER

Age:      3 (at last run)

Sex:       f

M/Rating:           72 (at last run)

Owner: Ridgemont (Nom: Mr Craig Kieswetter) & Mr Devin Heffer

Breeder:             Ridgemont Highlands

Trainer: B/J Crawford

Breeding:           Canford Cliffs (IRE) – Scent Of Pine by Badger Land (USA)

Colours:             Dark green, blue sleeves, white cap

Back to the rainy and wet Wednesday in Cape Town where both Richard’s winners were for his sponsors and high-profile owners Ridgemont (Nom: Mr Craig Kieswetter) & Mr Devin Heffer. First up was the Maiden First Conifer. A three-year-old daughter of Canford Cliffs had run six times over varying distances as the stable was ascertaining the best distance for her.

After having run six lengths off Give Me Everything over 1600M, she was given a three-month break after which she ran just over five lengths off English Mistress, who won her next run out of the Maidens as well. Her second run after the rest was over shorter (1400M) and she ran a much better race to stable companion Supreme Fate.

From a favourable draw Sweet Conifer broke well and settled just a length off stable companion Miss William. They maintained the one two as they spun into the stretch where Richard gave the filly her head and she readily went to the front at the top of the stretch.

She continued to stave off all comers as they went through the 200M, even eventually extending as she continued to gallop strongly, hitting the line full of running half a length ahead of the Des McLachlin inmate Cape Captain. An exceptionally good front running ride from Richard and winner number one for Ridgemont and Devin Heffer.

Sweet Conifer wins to break her Maiden

Sweet Conifer – Winning Interviews

Richard’s second winner, in contrast to his first, was a polar opposite. Strawberry Thief, unlike Sweet Conifer who prefers to race on the pace, is a horse that wants to be dropped out early and prefers to be left alone until she is ready to run.

STRAWBERRY THIEF

Age:      3 (at last run)

Sex:       f

M/Rating:           80 (at last run)

Owner: Ridgemont (Nom: Mr Craig Kieswetter) & Mr Devin Heffer

Breeder:             Ridgemont Highlands

Trainer: B/J Crawford

Breeding:           Canford Cliffs (IRE) – Crimson Blossom (IRE) by Danehill Dancer (IRE)

Colours:             Dark green, blue sleeves, white cap

After breaking her Maiden in good fashion beating subsequent dual winner English Mistress from an eleven draw, she was drawn eleven again in her post maiden race. She was flying up late finishing fifth in a blanket finish, only two lengths off the winner.

At her next run, on this cold and rainy day, Strawberry Thief broke a step slow with Richard just allowing her to idle at the back of the field. As they cornered into the straight, he clicked it up a gear, as she started passing the backmarkers and she had about six lengths to find on the leaders as the field spun into the stretch.

Richard waited for the field to hit the cutaway, switched the daughter of Canford Cliffs to the inside rail, and started to drive away giving her a couple of backhanders down the shoulder. She quickened beautifully scything through the field as they came through the 200M and then running on strongly all the way to the line under mild urging from Richard.

Strawberry Thief quickens well to win easily

Strawberry Thief – Winning Interviews

Strawberry Thief seems like a filly with a bright future. A three-year-old, who can switch off, idle behind runners, and then produce a turn of foot that is very impressive over staying trips is a filly that could go places.

In addition, she has high profile owners who can guide her career in conjunction with James, has arguably the best jockey in the country in Richard Fourie to guide her around the racetracks of South Africa, and most importantly seems to have the turn of foot that could assist her in rising through the staying ranks as her career progresses.

 

Horse of the Month – Mon Petit Cherie

Champions Season in Natal kicked off with a bang for Crawford Racing as one of only two representatives from the stable won the Grade 2 World Sports Betting Fillies Guineas on the 3^{rd of} May 2025.

MON PETIT CHERIE

Age:      3 (at last run)

Sex:       f

M/Rating:           108 (at last run)

Owner: Ridgemont (Nom: Mr Craig Kieswetter) & Mr Devin Heffer

Breeder:             Ridgemont Highlands

Trainer: B/J Crawford

Breeding:           Rafeef (AUS) – Exotic (IRE) by Galileo (IRE)

Colours:             Dark green, blue sleeves, white cap

This was her second Grade Two victory, the first one being at Kenilworth where she ran on strongly to shorthead Beware the Bomb in a blanket finish. Mon Petit Cherie put her head down when it mattered most under a brilliant ride from Richard with places one to four within a half a length of each other.

Mon Petit Cherie wins the G2 WC Fillies Championship under the Richard drive

On the first Saturday of Champions Season in Natal she lined up in an extremely competitive field of fillies for the Grade Two contest with fourteen fillies taking their place in the Fillies Guineas. Jumping from a favourable two draw, she showed good gate speed and Richard was able to place her in the box seat as the field went down the back stretch.

As the field spun into the straight, Richard moved a little lower in the saddle, asking her to make her run down the inside of the straight. She responded readily, taking the lead as the field came through the 300M with pressure now coming from Spumante Dolce and Be Merry on her outside.

However, Richard and Mon Petit Cherie was having none of it, and he was driving away as the field went through the 200M, giving her a couple of cracks of the whip to ensure that her concentration was at an optimum. She responded, continuing to gallop strongly and having just under a half a length to spare as she hit the line.

Mon Petit Cherie & Richard on the mark in the G2 WSB Fillies Guineas at Greyville

Mon Petit Cherie wins her second Graded Race – Interviews

 

(Image courtesy of Cape Racing)

(Image courtesy of Cape Racing)

 

Having run out of the top three places only once in her career, and with two of her three wins being Grade Two contests, Mon Petit Cherie has a bright future ahead of her. Ridgemont, the Kieswetters,Devin Heffer and James Crawford have a a quality filly in their respective ownership and stable.

Being a three year old filly, and displaying a penchant for the sprinting and middle distance races, she should be able to mature and strengthen and just continue on her upward trajectory in the very capable hands of her owners and trainer.

 

Ride of the Month – Louis Mxothwa & Otto Luyken

Otto Luyken is a five-year gelding with an incredibly colourful past. He started his racing career in Gauteng with the stable of Tyrone Zackey and in the ownership of Mr W H Ackerman & Mr K P & Mrs N M Backo. In June 2023 he changed ownership to Mr Greg Bortz and Miss Gina Goldsmith and moved to Cape Town to the stable of Gareth Van Zyl and at the beginning of 2025 the son of Flower Alley moved to the stable of Crawford Racing.

Whilst all these ownership and stable changes were happening, he continued to race to the best of his ability. Having contested four Grade Two and Nine Grade Three races, he had won three races, and run second and third four times as well. On Saturday the 25^th of May he won his fourth race; a courageous win under a brilliantly forceful ride from Louis Mxothwa.

OTTO LUYKEN

Age:      5 (at last run)

Sex:       g

M/Rating:           109 (at last run)

Owner: Mr Greg Bortz & Ms Gina Goldsmith

Breeder:             Wilgerbosdrift & Mauritzfontein

Trainer: B/J Crawford

Breeding:           Flower Alley (USA) – Laurel Cherry by Ideal World (USA)

Colours:             Aquamarine, dark grey seams, aquamarine sleeves, dark grey armbands, striped cap

After having run a very good second to Garrix at the beginning of May, the two renewed their rivalry on a balmy winter Sunday afternoon, on a soft track at Kenilworth Racecourse. Otto Luyken jumped well and Louis settled him one wide as they raced down the back straight, the field maintaining their positions as the field entered the straight.

The son of Flower Alley sailed into the lead inside the 300M mark, but the Steyn inmate Garrix had surged from the back of the field and took up the tunning readily as the two horses moved ahead of the field, Garrix moving ahead of Otto Luyken.

Just as it seemed as it Garrix would move on to win, Louis was hard at work galvanising Otto Luyken for a final assault on the leader. As the shadow of the post loomed, Otto Luyken had got back next to Garrix and as they hit the line his nose was down at the right time to short head Garrix into second.

Otto Luyken – A courageous win under a forceful and balanced ride from Louis

Otto Luyken wins the fourth race of his career – Winning Interviews

Otto Luyken is a relatively young horse in terms of horses who prefer to race over the longer distances. He has reached his highest merit rating of his career of 109 after his last win, and his win was on a soft track. With softer going more the order of the day in the next couple of months, Messrs Bortz, Goldsmith and Crawford could be aimed at some of the more higher rated staying races in the winter months.

 

Timothy Woodruff off the mark in Gauteng with Aladdin’s Lamp

Timothy Woodruff’s horseracing background is impressive. His grandfather, Terrance Millard was a legendary trainer in his own right. His uncle, Tony Millard, has also made his mark as a champion trainer, achieving success at the highest level in Hong Kong and on the global stage. Timothy’s Dad Geoff Woodruff, was a five-time South African champion trainer winning the Gr1 Summer Cup six times in seventeen renewals.

With Brett and Gwen moving to Hong Kong, James relocating to Cape Town and Timothy taking the reins in Gauteng, there was much movement in April and May. One of the horses who relocated to Gauteng from Cape Town was the Murugasa Family owned Aladdin’s Lamp, a two time winner in Cape Town.

In his first run at Turffontein he ran a good race to finish second to the highly rated Pumpkin Pie from the Candice Dawson stable. His second run was was at the Vaal at the end of May and it provided Timothy with his first win since he was appointed as the assistant trainer to James in Gauteng.

ALADDIN’S LAMP

Age:      4 (at last run)

Sex:       g

M/Rating:           77 (at last run)

Owner: Mr P M Murugasa

Breeder:             Varsfontein Stud

Trainer: B/J Crawford

Breeding:           Master Of My Fate – Little Genie by Judpot (USA)

Colours:             Green, black epaulettes, blue sleeves and collar, green cap

Callan Murray had the ride on Aladdin’s Lamp, and the son of Master of My Fate jumped well showing good gate speed from his challenging thirteen draw. He had to race wide down the back stretch but his early pace allowed Callan to slot into third place as the field raced into the turn.

As they spun into the stretch, Callan allowed him just to move up to within three lengths off the pacemakers and then asked for more as the field came through the 400M. He was in full stride now and collared the pacemakers through the 200M. Chabal was making ground down the inside rail but Aladdin’s Lamp ran on well all the way to the line to hold off Chabal by jut over a half a length.

 

Mr Murugasa’s Aladdin’s Lamp gives Timothy his first winner in Gauteng

Mr Murugasa’s gelding has had a successful relaocation, has run two very good races since the move and the trajectory could be onwards and upwards for the four year old gelding. Timothy has had his first winner and with Brett settling in Hong Kong, James relocation complete in Cape Town and Timothy finding his feet in Gauteng, the sky can be the limit for all their respective stables.