Drakenstein Stud’s top-class sire What A Winter made headlines on Friday when his son Mid Winter Wind made a winning Hong Kong debut when victorious at Sha Tin.
Under the South African-born Luke Ferraris, Mid Winter Wind defied his starting price of 42-1 with a courageous performance in Friday’s Yue Yee Handicap (Class 3).
Ferraris kept his mount going in the closing stages, and the Mark Newnham-trained gelding stayed on to claim his first win in Hong Kong narrowly.
Bred by Drakenstein Stud (who raced him in South Africa), Mid Winter Wind won four times in South Africa, with his four-race winning streak headed by a triumph in the G3 Byerley Turk of 2024 (where he accounted for, among others, the G1 winning Snow Pilot).
Out of Dynasty’s star daughter Lady In Black, Mid Winter Wind won four of nine South African starts, earning R497,750 in prize money.
Mid Winter Wind, who had four barrier trials prior to Friday’s race, is now owned by James Lau Po Man & Alice Woo Wai See.
His four-time G1 winning sire What A Winter is having another fine season in 2024-2025, with the champion son of Western Winter currently third on the Leading Sires of 2YOs premiership for the current season.
The Drakenstein Stud resident is also the sire of globetrotting champion Isivunguvungu, who holds an entry for the G1 Al Quoz Sprint on Dubai World Cup night.
What A Winter, whose flagbearers this season include G2 Cartier Sceptre Stakes/G3 World Sports Betting Southern Cross Stakes heroine Asiye Phambili, has four lots on offer at the upcoming Cape Yearling Sale.
Original article written by Cape Breeders Club