There is no average on any raceday for Grant van Niekerk and when he’s hot, and at the races, he sure is hot!
The Drakenstein-sponsored rider made it three wins from the first six races on the SplashOut Cape Derby day at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth when steering the well-related Winter Cloud home to make it a fairer sex 1-2-3 in the R750 000 City Of Cape Town Gr3 Cape Of Good Hope Nursery.
Winter Cloud cruises in under Grant van Niekerk (Pic -Candiese Lenferna)
Mike Bass saddled Empress Crown to win the Cape Of Good Hope Nursery back in 2008, and it was ten years later before a girl would beat the boys. That was to be Winter Cloud’s full sister Clouds Unfold who was saddled by Candice Bass-Robinson to win the Nursery in 2018. Clouds Unfold would go on to win dual Majorca Stakes – and the young jockey suggested that Winter Cloud reminded him of Clouds Unfold and would go on to the tops.
With the favourite Gimmelightning (33-10) outpaced late and failing to threaten, the Drakenstein pair made it a second feature exacta on the big day for the Bass Racing Team. Both were ridden by Van Niekerk with Aldo Domeyer playing second fiddle.
Winter Cloud (6-1) won untroubled to beat another Drakenstein-bred daughter of What A Winter in Distant Winter (10-1) by 1,25 lengths in a time of 73,39 secs.
Golden Tatjana (8-1) maintained her consistent form to grab third, a further three quarter lengths back.
A winner of 2 races with a place from 3 starts, Winter Cloud took her stakes earnings to R516 563.
A daughter of Equus Champion What A Winter (Western Winter) she is out of Montelissima, a Montjeu half-sister to Listed Summer Juvenile Stakes winner Arria and Gr2 Senor Santa Stakes third Pivotal Pursuit.
Her second dam Issa is a full-sister to unbeaten Yorkshire Oaks winner Catchascatchcan, dam of Breeders’ Cup Mile winner and former Highlands Stud sire Antonius Pius.
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