When Bohica (Capetown Noir) sprung a surprise win in Saturday’s Gr1 Pongraz Cape Flying Championship, he continued the remarkable success his grandsire Western Winter has enjoyed in the race.
The 2022 Cape Flying Championship was a triumph for Western Winter sire sons with the latter’s Equus champion son Capetown Noir responsible for Bohica and Western Winter’s highly successful sire son, and multiple Equus Champion, What A Winter sire of Flying Championship runner up Mr Cobbs.
Capetown Noir’s son Bohica wins last Saturday’s Gr1 thriller (Pic – Chase Liebenberg)
Mr Cobbs was one of two runners in the race for What A Winter (also the sire of seventh place finisher Hello Winter Hello) – who triumphed in the Cape Flying Championship both in 2011 and 2013.
What A Winter also finished second to champion Val De Ra (Var) in the 2012 Cape Flying Championship.
What A Winter has already enjoyed success in the Cape Flying Championship as a sire –his subsequent Equus Champion son Russet Air winning the Cape Flying Championship in 2020.
His sire Western Winter is also the sire of 2010 Cape Flying Championship winner Warm White Night, as well as Cape Flying Championship runner up Red Ray. (Red Ray ran twice in the Cape Flying Championship, and also ran third in the 2017 renewal).
Western Winter’s influence on the Cape Flying Championship is not, however, limited to his sons.
His Gr2 winning daughter Carry On Katie is the dam of 2017 G1 Cape Flying Championship heroine Carry On Alice.
A three time champion sire in South Africa, Western Winter has also enjoyed success in top sprint features the Gr1 Mercury Sprint (Red Ray, What A Winter), Gr1 Computaform Sprint (Attenborough, What A Winter), and Gr1 South African Fillies Sprint (Lady Windermere).
Western Winter (Gone West – Chilly Hostess)
He is broodmare sire of not only champion sprinter Carry On Alice but also high-class sprinter, and now Varsfontein Stud based sire, Erik The Red (both Carry On Alice and Erik The Red were both sired by Captain Al).
Western Winter’s hugely successful sire Gone West (Mr Prospector) was also no stranger to siring high-class sprinters.
Not only did Gone West sire champion sprinter, and outstanding stallion, Speightstown (winner of the Gr1 Breeders’ Cup Sprint), another son, Grand Slam, ran second in the Gr1 Breeders’ Cup Sprint of 1998. Grand Slam went on to sire a Breeders’ Cup Sprint winner in the form of Cajun Beat.
Gone West was also responsible for Gr1 Breeders’ Cup Sprint runner up, and subsequent successful sire Mr Greeley, and durable Dubai sprinter Conroy, among many others.
Western Winter’s influence on Saturday was not limited to the Pongracz Cape Flying Championship -his daughter Baqueira is the dam of Saturday’s impressive Listed City Of Cape Town Summer Juvenile Stakes winner Cliff Top (Canford Cliffs).
