Touched off in the 2024 renewal, the What A Winter mare Asiye Phambile made no mistakes this time round in the R400 000 Cartier Gr2 Sceptre Stakes at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on Saturday when registering a career peak success with an emphatic low-flying performance to become South Africa’s newest equine millionaire.
Asiye Phambili (Richard Fourie) wins the Cartier Sceptre Stakes on L’Omarins King’s Plate Day to become an equine millionaire (Pic – Candiese Lenferna)
A popular banker bet for many in the L’Ormarins King’s Plate Day carryover Pick 6, Asiye Phambile registered a feature double after her WSB Gr3 Southern Cross Stakes victory at the same venue a month earlier.
Relaxed early on as is her preferred competition style, she powered home up the outside at 17-10 under Ridgemont rider Richard Fourie to hold off a late challenge from 25-2 shot Roccapina and the top-notch 3yo Gimmie’s Countess, who ran on from last.
Asiye Phambili clocked 69,81 secs for the 1200m.
Formerly with Duncan Howells, Asiye Phambili means ‘moving forward’ and has enjoyed further success for Gareth van Zyl, who has done a sterling job for Hollywood Racing.
Besides giving the Hollywood Racing Team their first feature success of 2025, Van Zyl saddled the powerful team’s final feature success of 2024 when the 6yo Imilenzeyokududuma won the Listed Christmas Handicap at Hollywoodbets Greyville on the Day Of Goodwill public holiday.
That success capped a ‘purple patch’ of note as it came just weeks Saturday’s smart winner Asiye Phambili won the World Sports Betting Gr3 Southern Cross Stakes.
Van Zyl also gave the passionate team their 600th winner on African soil when Luhamba Phambili won the Need For Speed Sprint, also at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth, back in November.
A R500 000 Cape Premier Yearling Sale purchase, Asiye Phambili has now won 8 races with 7 places from 21 starts for stakes of R1 012 863.
A daughter of SA Speed Champion What A Winter (Western Winter), the valuable broodmare prospect is out of the six-time winning Rambo Dancer mare, Cast A Spell.
With a R1 million carryover injection, the Pick 6 pool on the day unfortunately failed to reach the R5 million projection, and ended on a nett of R3 787 907,79.
