Drakenstein Stud’s prominent resident stallion What A Winter enjoyed a notable double on Saturday, with his double highlighted by an impressive win from his daughter Clouds Unfold.
The latter made it win number four, from five starts, when running out a very impressive, one and a quarter length winner of the G2 Western Cape Fillies Championship at Kenilworth.
Trained by Candice Bass-Robinson and ridden by Aldo Domeyer, the flashy Clouds Unfold stormed home up the outside to win in the style of a filly out of the very top drawer.
The Drakenstein Stud bred and owned filly, who had beaten male rivals when successful in the G3 Cape Of Good Hope Nursery last season, accounted for a top class field on Saturday, with Clouds Unfold’s beaten rivals including such graded and listed stakes winning fillies as Temple Grafin and Coral Bay, debut winner Varsity Lover, and the G1 performer Canukeepitsecret.
The What A Winter 3yo has now banked R483 125 and looks a major contender for the G1 Cape Fillies Guineas later this season.
She was one of two Saturday winners for triple Equus Champion What A Winter, with the latter’s daughter Casual Wear scoring over 1160m at Turffontein on Saturday night. The 3yo Casual Wear, who has now won or placed in six of her eight outings, was bred by the Cheveley Stud and she is trained by Paul Peter.
Another by What A Winter, former Cape Nursery and CTS 1200 winner Dutch Philip, caught the eye when finishing second, to G1 Rising Sun Gold Challenge hero Undercover Agent, in a pinnacle stakes over 1200m at Kenilworth on Saturday. Recently gelded, the Rex Stud bred four-year-old stormed up late to go down by just three parts of a length to the hugely talented winner –who has earned well over R4 million in prize money.
Clouds Unfold’s win made up for her paternal half-sister Magical Wonderland finishing second, to multiple G1 winner Snowdance, in the 2017 G2 Western Cape Fillies Championship. Magical Wonderland, who has been entered in the Listed Laisserfaire Stakes on November 11th, went on to win the G2 Cartier Sceptre Stakes and finish second in the G1 South African Fillies Sprint. To date, Magical Wonderland has earned more than R1.7 million in stakes.
South Africa’s Champion First Crop Sire of 2016-2017, What A Winter will be represented on both this week’s Emperors Palace Ready To Run Sale and November 23rd’s CTS Ready To Run Sale.
The four time G1 winner’s only lot on the Emperors Palace Ready To Run Sale is a filly (Lot 46) from the same family as last season’s G2 Post Merchants winner Sniper Shot, while What A Winter’s five lots on the CTS Sale include a half-sister to G3 Godolphin Barb winner Punk Rocker (Lot 7), and a three-parts brother to G3 Prix Du Cap winner Croc Valley (Lot 110).
Original article written by: Cape Breeders Club