Qawaasem became the latest 2YO Arrowfield graduate to win on debut this season when she scored at Turffontein on Saturday.
The daughter of Charge Forward and Ribe (by Danehill) won the 1450-metre Turffontein Maiden 2YO Fillies Plate by 2.75 lengths. Bought for $240,000 from Arrowfield’s 2013 Inglis Australian Easter Sale draft by Shadwell Australia, she is raced by Sheikh Hamdan.
Shadwell also purchased last weekend’s Turffontein debut stakeswinner Majmu (Redoute’s Choice-Sponteneous by Hussonet) from the Arrowfield Easter draft and, like Qawaasem, she is prepared by champion South African trainer Mike de Kock.
The sixth winner from the Group 2-winning Danehill mare Ribe, Qawaasem is a half-sister to Reaan who gave Sheikh Hamdan a Group 1 success in the 2008 Blue Diamond Stakes. Further back, the family also produced the 1970 Melbourne Cup winner Baghdad Note.
Ribe has a weanling filly by More Than Ready and is back in foal to Charge Forward, who posted his 13th stakeswinner when London Lolly won the MVRC St Albans S. LR on Friday evening.
Fourteen graduates of Arrowfield’s yearling Class of 2013 have now won, 11 of them on debut. Gold Force, Majmu, Moonlight Hussler & Oakleigh Girl have done even better: they’ve earned stakes-winning status at their first starts.
Arrowfield will offer an outstanding draft of 31 yearlings at next month’s 2014 Inglis Australian Easter Sale, including four colts by Charge Forward.
