Friendly Fire! Bernard Fayd’herbe ran fourth on the favourite, while MJ Byleveld (on right) rode the winner
Lammerskraal’s leading man Western Winter has been churning out the stakes winners for fifteen seasons in South Africa, and even at age 21 is still picking them off. His daughter Winter Fantasy turned Friday’s R130 000 Listed East Cape Nursery into a procession, with an impressive victory that spoke of plenty to come.
Just like his late father, Alan Greef has had plenty of success for the Scribante family, and the team appear to have hit on a serious 2yo filly in Winter Fantasy, who registered her second win from three starts, when cruising home on a tough day at Fairview for the fancied horses.
And one man who will have realised by now that one can’t win every feature every Friday is top Cape trainer Justin Snaith. His yard sent out the 9 to 10 favourite Lunar Moon, and the Var filly was never in it, eventually fading to finish an ordinary fourth.
Snaith also sent out the favourite of the earlier feature, Count To Ten, who at least ran a respectable second.
He and his rider for the day, Bernard Fayd’Herbe, had to hang in until the very last race to bank a winning cheque. That coincidentally was also a daughter of Western Winter.
Winter Fantasy was up in the firing line for much of the journey in an eight horse field and after her pacy stablemate Free Flight had gotten a little tired, she shook off the late attentions of Bursary and forged ahead under MJ Byleveld.
The 14 to 10 shot won by an extending 4,25 lengths in a time of 72,70 secs.
Top Trainer. Alan Greeff trained the winner
The Jacques Strydom trained Bursary, with the vocal urgings of commentator Bumpy Schoeman, had no chance with the winner, despite a 1,5kg weight advantage. But she should be a rocket next time in a maiden race down in PE!
Free Flight hung on and ran a 9,75 length third at 55 to 1, in a promising effort for his stallion A.P. Arrow, who is yet to sire his first winner.
The winner was bred by Ascot Stud.
She is out of the thrice winning Al Mufti mare, Royal Fantasy, who won the 2006 Gr1 Thekwini Stakes, beating the then unexposed Sun Classique!
Winter Fantasy took her career earnings to R124 375 and has won 2 of her 3 starts, after running second on debut to the promising Yoshie, who didn’t run today.
She confirmed her form with Bursary, whom she slammed last time out when winning her maiden.
