Drakenstein Stud’s in-form resident stallion, and triple Equus Champion, What A Winter produced his second feature race winner in as many days when his daughter Celestial Love ran out a brilliant winner of the G2 4Racing Camellia Stakes run at Turffontein on Saturday.
Just one day earlier, What A Winter’s son Whatever Next had claimed the Listed East Cape Nursery and Celestial Love provided her four time Gr1 winning sire with a quick feature race double when victorious on Saturday.
Celestial Love charges home under Gavin Lerena (Pic – JC Photos)
The 2021 Camellia Stakes was a great result for What A Winter, whose daughters finished first and second.
Trained by Johan Janse Van Vuuren, three-year-old Celestial Love powered home, under Gavin Lerena, to down her year-older, paternal half-sister Sarah by a facile three lengths, while confirming herself as a very exciting sprinter in the making.
The Hemel ‘N Aarde Stud bred Celestial Love has now won her last four in a row, and five of just eight starts, having previously won the Gr3 World Sports Betting Man O’ War Sprint by nearly four lengths.
Yet to finish out of the first two, Celestial Love was a R120 000 buy from the 2019 KZN Yearling Sale.
What A Winter had earlier enjoyed success at Turffontein when his Stuart Pettigrew trained son Expressfromtheus had captured the second race, the Costa Livanos Pinnacle Stakes (1400m), in impressive fashion.
Placed in both the G2 Ilha Bela Hawaii Stakes and G3 London News Stakes earlier this season, and winner of the 2020 The Grand Heritage, Expressfromtheus has now won six times with Saturday’s earnings pushing the Rooispruit Stud bred and owned gelding’s earnings to over R440 000. He is a Vodacom Durban July entry.
