What A Winter justifies favouritism in the Cape Flying Championship
PICTURE: Liesl King/ThoroughbredNEWS.com.auWinter flies to another Championship win
Report: South Africa, Saturday
Kenilworth: Betting World Cape Flying Championship (Grade 1) 5f, turf, 3yo+
What A Winter (Mike Bass/Bernard Fayd'Herbe) showed he is as good as ever by decisively outpointing his field to win his second Cape Flying Championship in three seasons.
He drifted from 4-5 to 7-5 but still started favourite and hit the front just over half a furlong out, getting the better of Via Africa by three-quarters of a length with over four lengths back to the third, 16-1 shot Cap Alright.
Fayd'Herbe said: "He dug down deep to pass Via Africa but once he got past her he started to loaf under me. He is very good but I don't think we have seen the best of him on the racecourse. When I ride him in work he is like a machine."
Bass added: "I am quite happy to be criticised for running him in the Queen's Plate and I deserve to be because it didn't come off. It proved to be a disastrous exercise but it didn't do any harm.
"I've had a few good sprinters but none as good as this one. The Computaform Sprint in Johannesburg is a possibility and the Mercury Sprint in Durban could also be on the cards again. Those are the only two possible races for him because I am not going to run him in a handicap. He would have to give away ten kilos."
The five-year-old Western Winter horse is closely related to Irish 2,000 Guineas winner Wassl and has already been syndicated to stand at the Drakenstein Stud next season.
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