Drakenstein Stud’s red hot resident sire What A Winter was responsible for no fewer than four winners on Friday, with his son Fabian becoming his sire’s latest stakes winner when victorious in the Listed Ibhayi Stakes at Fairview on Friday afternoon.

Three-year-old Fabian made it win number two when staying on strongly to land the R150 000 contest by a length and a quarter, as a strongly fancied 26-10 shot, from the promising Trip To The Sky and useful filly March Music.
One of four winners for jockey Aldo Domeyer on Friday, the Lammerskraal Stud bred Fabian had won impressively second time out, and had been rated good enough to contest the G3 Cape Classic earlier in the season.

Out of the Parade Leader mare Furina, Fabian was a R500 000 buy from the 2017 National Yearling Sale.

The gelding is trained by Candice Bass-Robinson (who also conditions What A Winter’s star daughter Clouds Unfold), who had a What A Winter double on Friday. Bass-Robinson not only claimed victory in the 2019 Ibhayi Stakes on Friday, but she also sent out What A Winter gelding What A Summer to score an emphatic win in the day’s seventh race (just prior to the Ibhayi Stakes).

Bred by the Favour Stud, four-year-old What A Summer, also ridden by Domeyer, justified his status as tote favourite with a devastating five and a half length win in Friday’s 1600m contest. Bred on the same What A Winter/Fort Wood cross as the stakes winning Fort Winter, What A Summer took his tally of wins to three with his facile Friday score.

Triple Equus Champion What A Winter was also responsible for a pair of winners at Greyville on Friday evening, when his sons Ring Of Fire and Siberian Husky won races one and eight respectively.

Two-year-old Ring Of Fire became What A Winter’s fifth juvenile winner this season thus far when he romped home to shed his maiden by three lengths, in a juvenile plate over 1000m on Friday night.
Trained by Paul Peter (who also sent out What A Winter 2yo filly Sarah to score recently), the Narrow Creek Stud bred colt was ridden to victory by Luke Ferraris.

Ring Of Fire, who was produced by the National Emblem mare Hot Ember, has now won or placed in each of his four starts. He was a R55 000 buy from the 2018 April Yearling Sale.

Ring Of Fire’s paternal half-brother Siberian Husky provided What A Winter with a fourth individual winner on Friday when he won the eighth, and final race, for trainer Brett Crawford and jockey Anton Marcus.
Dispatched a 17-10 tote favourite for Friday night’s 2000m race, Siberian Husky made it win number three with a facile two and a half-length win

Bred by Wilgerbosdrift & Mauritzfontein, the four-year-old gelding was a R375 000 buy from the 2016 National Yearling Sale.

South Africa’s Leading First Crop Sire of 2016-2017, What A Winter has nine yearlings on offer at the 2019 Cape Yearling Sale.