Alareef last raced in February 2017 and will open his account at Meydan on Thursday night for the stable of Mike De Kock.

The Stronghold gelding out of Spring Valley resident broodmare Modraj (by Machiavellian) had three wins in Dubai last season, along with six places from 13 starts in the United Arab Emirates.

The handsome dark bay gelding bred by Shadwell Stud and owned by Sheik Hamdan bin Rashid al Maktoum descends from the blue blooded family of Galileo and Sea The Stars in his immediate damline – his second dam being Allegretta, the dam of Urban Sea.

Alareef produced four wins in South Africa – Gavin Van Zyl races his Just As Well half-brother, who has won three times, named Just Cruised In. He has won almost R250 000 in stakes.

Alareef’s last win came at the end of January 2017 under jockey Jim Crowley, where he won by over two lengths over 1200m.

Stronghold, who died prematurely at Summerhill Stud, has another son performing at the top of his game in Hong Kong, namely Horse Of Fortune for the stable of Tony Millard.

Modraj has an Eightfold Path foal at foot this year, whilst her Curved Ball yearling was sold to Kenya in 2017.

KZN-bred Alareef has done it again in Dubai, winning his third race at Meydan since his export. The son of Stronghold out of the impeccably-bred Modraj by Machiavellian is bred by Shadwell Stud and trained by Mike De Kock.

Alareef’s third dam is Allegreta – the dam of outstanding Urban Sea, who in turn has produced world champion sire Galileo, Sea The Stars and Black Sam Bellamy. Modraj stands at Spring Valley Stud on behalf of owners Shadwell Stud.

Alareef took home the 1200m Hamdan Nin Mohammed Cruise Terminal under jockey J Crowley for his owner Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid al Maktoum at Meydan, defeating a son of Shamardal by a short head on the fast dirt going in a 10-horse field.

In total Alareef is a six time winner with nine places from 21 starts.

Alareef’s Just As Well half-brother Just Cruised In, has found the winners enclosure after placing in every one of his five previous starts.

The three year old gelding in training with Gavin Van Zyl has been enjoying further going and is owned in partnership by Messrs B A Bracher & M R Bracher, E A Budlender, Vernon Govender, I Naidoo & P R Rencken.

Just Cruised In sold for just R80 000 at the 2015 National Yearling Sale and has earned over R100 000 in stakes to date.

Bruce Le Roux of Spring Valley Stud has an unnamed Curved Ball yearling colt out of Modraj being aimed the KZN Yearling Sale in 2017 on behalf of Shadwell.

Curved Ball, the only son of Fastnet Rock to stand at stud in South Africa, has a winners to runners percentage of close to an admirable 30%.

Watch Alareef’s win below:

KZN-bred Alareef, impeccably bred by Shadwell Stud, opened his winning account at Meydan for trainer Mike De Kock and his owner Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid al Maktoum. Mike De Kock had an incredible evening, producing three winners (as well as 2 seconds and a third on the evening) including the winner of the Gr2 Al Rashidiya, a race previously won with The Apache.

Alareef won four times in and placed a further five in South Africa for the Mike De Kock stable prior to export, and his Dubai record now stands with an additional win in the Al Forsan At Bab Al Shams Handicap over 1400m, and five previous places from seven starts there. State Law (by Invincible Spirit) and Stunned (by Shamardal) placed behind Alareef respectively, just over a length off.

The son of a stallion that sadly passed away prematurely – the former Summerhill resident Stronghold – Alareef has an incredible damline that breeder Bruce Le Roux has described “as something you cant just buy into, its a priceless pedigree.”

Alareef’s dam Modraj(GB) by Machiavellian stands at Spring Valley Stud on behalf of her owner Shadwell Stud, and saw her Just As Well colt sold to Team G Racing from the 2015 National Yearling Sale. He has since been named Just Cruised In.

Modraj currently has a foal at foot by Curved Ball, a son of the mighty Australian sire Fastnet Rock – himself a son of Danehill.

The third dam of Modraj is none other then Allegretta, the dam of Champion Race and broodmare, Urban Sea – who in turn has produced super sire Galileo, Sea The Stars, Black Sam Bellamy and My Typhoon.

Allegretta was mated to Nureyev to produce the dam of Modraj, Saleela.

Stronghold was a son of super sire Danehill, and has produced the likes of Paul Lafferty’s Double Clutch and Pat Lunn’s Supercede, as well as good racemare Fortitude, who recently took home victory again in the Vaal.

Stronghold, out of Mr Prospector mare Insinuate, left behind just two crops of foals before succumbing to colic and the discovery of an irreparable rupture on the operating table.

Stronghold was given the status of the leading Handicapper of 2007, taking home five wins including the Gr3 Supreme Stakes and Paradise Listed.

Congratulations to the winning connections of Alareef.