Drakenstein Stud’s consistently successful resident sire What A Winter celebrated his 17th stakes winner when his three-year-old son Safari Blue landed Friday’s Listed East Cape Guineas at Fairview.
Trained by Hollywoodbets-sponsored Gavin Smith, the gelded Safari Blue had finished third in the Listed Ibhayi Stakes last time out, and filled the same placing in last season’s Listed Champion Juvenile Cup.
Warren Kennedy poses as Safari Blue charges to victory (Pic – Pauline Herman)
Under a great ride from Warren Kennedy, Safari Blue (11-2) turned Friday’s Listed feature, and second leg of the EC Sophomore Challenge, into a one horse rout, drawing clear in the closing stages to win by a comprehensive two and a half lengths.
He clocked 101,66 secs for the mile and beat the luckless Master Redoute (5-4) 2,50 lengths, to give Gavin Smith the first leg of a terrific feature double.
Third -placed You Know Who, also from the Smith yard, is also a son of What A Winter.
Out of the National Emblem mare Ladysingstheblues, the Terry Andrews-bred Safari Blue has now won four of 11 starts with 5 places for stakes of R296 625.
The gelding was a R180 000 buy from the 2020 BSA National Yearling Sale.
Safari Blue was the second winner on Friday’s East Cape card for What A Winter, with the multiple Equus Champion also responsible for Glacier Gold -who beat fellow What A Winter daughter Winter Furi when successful in the fifth race on the Fairview card.
South Africa’s Leading Sire of 2yos in 2020-2021, What A Winter has some exceptionally well bred yearlings on offer at the 2022 National Yearling Sale, including a half-sister (Lot 20) to Singapore champion Lizarre, a half-sister (Lot 34) to this season’s top-class three-year-old Trip Of Fortune, and a filly (Lot 408) out of fellow Equus Champion Hammie’s Hooker.
OFFICIAL RESULT:
No. Horse Jockey Trainer Distance Betting
1 st 4 SAFARI BLUE W Kennedy G D Smith 7/1
2 nd 2 MASTER REDOUTE G van Niekerk W A Nel 2.50 2.50 1/1
3 rd 5 YOU KNOW WHO *K A Brewer G D Smith 1.25 3.75 16/1
4 th 6 SWEET THE SOUND G Cheyne A C Greeff 0.05 3.80 16/1
5 th 3 PEACE IN OUR WORLD J P v’d Merwe G D Smith 2.25 6.05 14/1
Time of Race : 101.66
Tote Favourite: MASTER REDOUTE (2)
