A filly of rare guts, courage and ability, the Ridgemont-bred Humdinger added to her Gr2 Topbet Joburg Spring F & M Challenge trophy of earlier this season when she dug deep to win the R300 000 East Coast Radio Gr2 Tibouchina Stakes at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Saturday.
Trained by Mike de Kock, the 4yo Humdinger (14-1) was given a fine ride by the Bryanston Auctioneers-sponsored JP Van Der Merwe who brought the trojan galloper with a challenge 200m from home. The pair kept finding in a grandstand finisg to hold off a strong late challenge from Gr3 Poinsettia Stakes winner Marigold Hotel (7-1) to win by a neck in a time of 84,15 secs.
JP van der Merwe keeps Humdinger going (Pic – Candiese Lenferna)
Drakenstein Stud’s four-time Gr1 winning sire What A Winter has been responsible for a plethora of stakes winners this season, and the champion son of Western Winter enjoyed a great result here as his daughters Humdinger and Miss Cool ran first and fourth respectively.
It was a smart win from the victorious Humdinger, who had a poor draw to overcome and was keen early on in the running.
A R180 000 2020 National 2yo Sale purchase, the versatile Humdinger, a full-sister to the speedy East Cape-based stakes winner and 2021/22 season award-winner Glacier Gold, has now won 7 races (including three stakes successes) with 9 places from 21 starts for stakes of R928 125.
A second stakes success on the afternoon for Ridgemont, Hundinger is by the Equus speed champion What A Winter (Western Winter), out of the five time – winning Fort Wood mare, Himalayan Hill.
She is one of a growing number of stakes-winning daughters of What A Winter. This list also includes dual Gr1 Majorca Stakes winner Clouds Unfold, and graded stakes winners Magical Wonderland, Winter Cloud, Distant Winter, Celestial Love, Winter Smoke, Cold Fact, and the aforementioned Gr2 Heineken SA Nursery winner Miss Cool.
South Africa’s Leading Sire of 2YOs in 2020-2021, What A Winter’s flagbearers this season also include Gr1 Jonsson Workwear Computaform Sprint winner Isivunguvungu.
Runner up on South Africa’s General Sires List for the current season, his progeny have already earned more than R14 658 000 in 2022-2023, What A Winter has seven yearlings on offer at this week’s Cape Racing Winter Mixed Sale.
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