Drakenstein Stud’s increasingly successful, and inform, sire What A Winter always looked to have a strong hand in Saturday’s G2 Cape Merchants at Kenilworth and so it proved, with What A Winter gelding Russet Air storming home to a convincing victory in the 1200m feature.
One of two graded winners on the day for jockey Aldo Domeyer, four-year-old Russet Air powered home up the outside of the track to post a one and a half length win, while accounting for such stakes winners as Sergeant Hardy, Traces, Bishop’s Bounty, Pleasedtomeetyou and Pack Leader.
Bred by Lammerskraal Stud, Russet Air has now won his last two races in a row, with his latest win (and first graded victory) taking his earnings to over R480 000.
The 2019 Cape Merchants winner, who has now four wins to his name, was one of two What A Winter sons in Saturday’s feature.
Russet Air is trained by Candice Bass-Robinson, who also trains/trained such What A Winter graded stakes winners as Clouds Unfold, Magical Wonderland, Snow Report and Dutch Philip.
South Africa’s Leading First Crop Sire of 2016-2017, and a triple Equus Champion, What A Winter also enjoyed sales ring success over the past weekend, with the son of Western Winter responsible for a colt fetching R800 000, to the bid of Form Bloodstock, at Friday evening’s CTS Ready To Run Sale.
Original article written by: Cape Breeders Club