Drakenstein Stud’s exciting young sire What A Winter, recently represented by his first stakes winner, was back in the news on Wednesday.
The triple Equus Champion was represented by his fifth first crop winner when his daughter Mar Del Sur broke her maiden in open company over 1200m.

Bred and owned by Drakenstein Stud, Mar Del Sur, who was making her polytrack debut, won a good race, downing older rivals, Cosima and Fashion Quest, by 0.75 of a length and two lengths respectively.
She is the fifth winner for What A Winter, who is currently South Africa’s Leading First Crop Sire by prize money and individual winners.
What A Winter, whose four G1 victories included two runnings of the Cape Flying Championship –a race won previously by champion sire Jet Master, has now been represented by 12 first crop runners who have either won or finished in the money.
His other notable winners include recent East Cape Nursery winner Fort Winter and debut winners Dutch Philip and Magical Wonderland.

The champion, whose yearlings have made up to R2.8 million this year, has four lots on the upcoming Emperors Palace Select Yearling Sale, including a colt from the family of French G1 winner Mary Linoa (Lot 3), and a half-brother to recent G3 Man O’War Sprint winner Exquisite Touch (Lot 143).
What A Winter has 15 lots on the 2017 National Yearling Sale next month, including a three parts brother to G1 winners Nania and Red Ray (Lot 68), a half-sister to G3 performer and eight time winner S’il Vous Plait (Lot 167), a colt out of a half-sister to Horse Of The Year Yard-Arm (also by Western Winter) (Lot 265), and a half-brother to Fillies Guineas winner Maybe Yes (Lot 388)