Michelle Rix (closest) with her July and Met-winning superstar Kommetdieding. (Picture: TBA)
Father and daughter team of Harold Crawford and Michelle Rix made history in 2021 as the first small yard this millenium to win South Africa’s premier race, the Gr 1 Hollywoodbets Durban July.
When three-year-old Elusive Fort colt Kommetdieding did it for them he became the first horse from a small yard to win the July since Pat Antelme did it 36 years previously with Gondolier in 1985 and Kommedtdieding went on to become only the seventh horse in history to win both the July and the Met.
And now the yard have the first progeny of Kommetdieding to go on a Sale, a Klawervlei Stud-bred weanling filly purchased on the BSA May Online Sale for R45,000 in partnership with Turf Talk Syndicate owner Grant Knowles.
The filly is out of the Trippi mare Alloway Grove, who won one race over 1200m and finished in the first three six times.
Michelle will also be visiting Klawervlei Stud soon to look at some more Kommetdiedings.
Meanwhile, the yard is in fine form having had 17 runs in the last five Hollywoodbets Kenilworth meeting for four wins (two doubles), three seconds, three thirds and two fourths.
Gavin Lerena, who rode Kommetdieding to July and Met glory, has ridden all four of the winners in that time frame.
One of the yard’s best horses is Time For Love, a five-year-old Time Thief mare who had a fine summer and she has continued her form into the winter.
She finished a 1,15 length third to the smart Rainbow Lorikeet in the Gr 3 Splashout Victress Stakes over 1800m in December and then finished a 0,30 length second to the same horse in the Gr 3 Tsogo Sun Summer Fling Stakes over 2000m on L’Ormarins King’s Plate day. She then had a four month layoff, but that did not stop her winning the Listed Ladies Mile on her first run back, despite carrying joint topweight. She followed that with a 1,75 length fourth in the Listed Stormsvlei Stakes over 1800m, beating Knockout, who went on to finish third in the Gr 3 Tote Oaks at Hollywoodbets Scottsville.
Michelle said, “Time For Love was an unlucky second to Rainbow Lorikeet in the East Cape Paddock Stakes last year and I’ve just confirmed with Gavin he will ride her in that race this year (on July 11).”
Michelle believes Beneath The Clouds will develop into a similar type to Time For Love. This Lancaster Bomber filly has won both of her starts since being stepped up to 1800m and has done it comforably. They always believed she would get better with age and over ground, so as she is only rated 83 and is on the up she could pay to follow.
Michelle said two-year-old One World colt Three Tigers, who finished a close up third in the Listed Somerset 1200 last time, was “a nice, promising young horse.”
One Liner is a One World who won on debut as a two-year-old and started his three-year-old career with a close second, but then had a colic issue and had an eight month layoff. His comeback run at the beginning of this month saw him run a close up third in a class 4 handicap off an 85 merit rating, so that was a fine effort. Michelle regards him as above average.
The yard have also done very well with Peace Of Mind, a Var filly. It has been shown that horses going from Cape Town to to other centres often have suppessed merit ratings and often do well, so to have gotten a win and two seconds out of a horse who has come from another centre to Cape Town is no mean feat.
Michelle said, “So all in all we have chosen well for the few we have purchased, especially considering we are trying to find Ferraris for the price of Volkswagens!”
She revealed, “Of the 24 horses we have, we only have 13 of them running, the rest are on the sick bench or still two-year-olds who haven’t raced yet.”
She added, “We have shown we can win big races if we have the right horses. We have been very fortunate that in the last few months a lot of new owners have come into the yard buying babies, we have fifteen babies coming in. Jonathan Bloch has been a huge supporter of the yard, which is amazing, the Turf Talk syndicate have sent us three, two Hawwaam’s and an Erik The Red, so that is also amazing and there is a lot to look forward too.”
