Gauteng-based owners and breeders Danny and Ronel Collins have a really smart sprinting filly on their hands in the shape of the aptly-named Hello Winter Hello.
The lightly raced daughter of What A Winter grabbed her second stakes success when finishing powerfully to win the R85 000 Listed Laisserfaire Stakes at Kenilworth on Saturday.
Craig Zackey takes it easy as Hello Winter Hello impresses at Kenilworth on Saturday (Pic – Chase Liebenberg)
In a tricky fillies and mares handicap, last season’s Listed Olympic Duel Stakes winner was astutely covered up and relaxed a few lengths off the pace by Craig Zackey, as a powerful north-west wind buffeted the outside runners in the stampede down the 1100m straight.
Richard Fourie had Phil’s Dancer out front and setting a solid gallop with the Adam Marcus-trained 7-2 favourite Hello Winter Hello about 8 lengths off the edge, but gaining momentum down the inside.
Into the final 200m, Hello Winter Hello bounded away and kept the game and superbly consistent Phil’s Dancer (9-2) to a 1,25 length margin at the line.
The winner clocked 64,52 secs.
Greg Ennion’s longshot On Captain’s Side (20-1) finished best to boost the trifecta, another 2,25 lengths off in third. The Snaith’s made it second and fourth, when Lilac Sensation (25-1) snared the fourth cheque.
Hello Winter Hello, a R140,000 weanling from the 2017 CTS Select Mares Weanlings & Fillies for Stud Sale, was bred by Favour Stud.
She is a daughter of Drakenstein’s leading First Crop Sire of 2016/17, Triple Equus Champion What A Winter (Western Winter) and is out of the Dominion Royale mare I’m Like Hello.
What A Winter has 16 lots on this week’s Emperors Palace National 2YO Sale, and ten lots on the CTS Ready To Run, Unbroken 2 Year Old & Mixed Sale.
