Drakenstein Stud’s young sire What A Winter (Western Winter) proved one of the sire sensations of the auction ring last season.
The multiple Equus Champion’s first yearlings proved in huge demand during in 2016, as the following stats clearly indicate:

What A Winter had yearlings fetch up to R850 000 at the Cape Premier Yearling Sale
He was the third leading sire, by aggregate, at the Val De Vie Yearling Sale.
What A Winter had three yearlings fetch R400 000 plus at the 2016 March Yearling Sale
He was responsible for a R500 000 colt at the 2016 Emperors Palace Select Yearling Sale
What A Winter’s filly out of Mina Salaam was sold for R525 000 at this year’s National Yearling Sale
He was also responsible for the fifth top priced colt sold at this year’s Sibaya KZN Yearling Sale

With such consistently high sales prices, it is clear that What A Winter could not have made a better start to his stud career!

What A Winter’s popularity, however, comes as no surprise. Not only was the son of triple champion sire Western Winter an outstanding racehorse, he also sports a superb pedigree.

Trained by Mike Bass and bred by the Daytona Stud, What A Winter won 15 races and earned over R3 million in prize money, during a career which saw him notch up three Equus Awards. The handsome colt was named Equus Champion Older Male and Equus Champion Sprinter in 2012, and repeated his Sprinter title in 2013.

His eight feature race victories included a pair of triumphs in the Gr1 Cape Flying Championship, a historic score in Gauteng’s Gr1 Computaform Sprint and the Gr1 Mercury Sprint. What A Winter also won the Gr2 Diadem Stakes on two occasions and defeated subsequent Gr1 Cape Guineas winner Solo Traveller (also by Western Winter) and Gr1 Cape Derby hero Top Seller (Al Mufti) when successful in the 2010 Gr2 Selangor Cup.

Other notable Gr1 winners defeated by What A Winter during his remarkable career included the likes of the dual Gr1 winner Copper Parade (Lecture), now popular young Australian sire Delago Deluxe (Encosta De Lago), outstanding racemare Ebony Flyer (Jet Master), champion and Hong Kong Gr1 winner J J The Jet Plane (Jet Master), and champion sprinters Val De Ra (Var) and Via Africa (Var).

From the same Gone West male line as outstanding sires Elusive Quality, Speightstown, Grand Slam, Zafonic and hot young French sire Wootton Bassett, What A Winter hails from the same female line as outstanding sires Sir Tristram (Sir Ivor), Hyperion (Gainsborough), Mossborough (Nearco), and Pharamond II (Phalaris).

His eagerly awaited first runners race this season and include siblings to such high class performers as Equus Champion Capetown Noir (Western Winter), Gr3 Winter Derby hero and Dubai winner Liquid Mercury (Trippi), Gr1 Woolavington 2000 heroine Viva Maria (Jet Master), and Gr2 Camellia Stakes winner Bichette (Western Winter).