The classy Asiye Phambili, winner of Saturday’s World Sports Betting Gr3 Southern Cross Stakes, will have plenty to recommend her when she retires to stud.
The Gareth van Zyl-trained mare is one of 26 stakes winners for her sire What A Winter (Western Winter), twice Equus Champion Sprinter and Equus Champion Older Male of 2011-2012.
Asiye Phambili (Richard Fourie) wins the 2024 WSB Gr3 Southern Cross Stakes. Candy Town (Corne Orffer) holds on for second (Pic – Chase Liebenberg)
South Africa’s Leading First Season Sire of 2016-2017 and Leading Sire of 2YOs in 2019-2020, What A Winter is no stranger to siring top-class daughters with his tally including dual Gr1 Majorca Stakes winner Clouds Unfold and last season’s Ridgemont Gr1 Garden Province Stakes winner Humdinger.
Of What A Winter’s 26 stakes winners, 13 are female. The Hemel ‘N Aarde-bred Asiye Phambili is, however, the first Southern Cross Stakes winner for her sire.
What A Winter is a grandson of the breed-shaping stallion Gone West, whose other notable male line descendants include current star stallions Wootton Bassett, Quality Road and Munnings.
Asiye Phambili, in all likelihood, also owes plenty of her ability to her dam and female line.
A full-sister to 2020 Gr2 Western Cape Fillies Championship runner-up Trickster (What A Winter) and the useful Max The Magician (What A Winter), Asiye Phambili is one of eight winners, and three stakes winners, produced by her prolific dam Cast A Spell (Rambo Dancer).
The latter, a winner of six races, including the Listed Breeders Guineas, also ranks as the dam of the uber speedy Little Genie (Banyana Handicap, Gardenia Stakes) and Luna Child (Breeders Guineas).
Cast A Spell, whose sire Rambo Dancer also ranks as the broodmare sire of outstanding producer Halfway To Heaven (Jet Master), is also responsible for the stakes placed pair of Neala (Jay Peg) and Ollivander (Silvano).
Remarkably, Cast A Spell’s six black-type performers were sired by five different stallions.
The best horse produced by Hansel mare Flying Magic, Cast A Spell’s granddam is the top-class racemare Magic Gleam (Danzig).
Winner of the Gr2 Child Stakes and runner up in the Gr1 Coronation Stakes, Magic Gleam ranks as the third dam of Czech champion Subway Dancer (Shamardal), and the latter’s Nad Al Sheba Trophy winning half-brother Secret Advisor (Dubawi).
Magic Gleam’s dam All Agleam also made her mark in South Africa, being the dam of Stuttafords Gr1 Fillies Guineas winner Flying Snowdrop, the granddam of Avontuur Estate Gr1 Cape Fillies Guineas heroine Sparkling Gem (Joshua Dancer).
The latter, dam of recent debut winner Elizabedi Gold (Gold Standard), is the granddam of graded stakes winning half-siblings King Of Gems and Pink Tourmaline.
The blue blooded All Agleam was a half-sister to star filly Davona Dale (Best Turn) and the dam of Gr1 Stephen Foster Handicap winner Seek Gold (Touch Gold).
Other members of this star family include Gr1 Preakness Stakes winner Gate Dancer (Sovereign Dancer), Gr1 Futurity Stakes winner Agincourt (Capote), and 2000 Guineas winner Colorado (Phalaris).
Asiye Phambili is a direct descendant of 1928 English Oaks winner Toboggan (Hurry On), whose daughter Hydroplane II produced US Triple Crown winning superstar Citation (Bull Lea).
