She’s winning their hearts
THE Joshua Dancer mare She’s A Winner (pictured) is turning out to be a promising broodmare and one of the deserved beneficiaries is her former trainer Corrine Bestel.
On Sunday She’s A Winner’s three-yearold daughter by Fort Wood, the Bestel-trained She’s A Fortress, surprised connections by handling the soft conditions and beating a decent field in a MR 76 handicap for fillies and mares over 1000m by a comfortable two lengths off a merit rating of 68.
The 2,5kg claiming apprentice Eric Saziso Ngwane thus made it two wins from two rides for the Bestel yard. She’s A Fortress has now won two starts from five. Her gate speed and natural pace are her chief weapons and she led from start to finish on Sunday.
Meanwhile, in Johannesburg, She’s A Winner’s Leon Erasmus-trained colt by Var, He’s A Var, showed tremendous speed throughout when winning a Juvenile Plate over 1000m on debut by a cosy length, despite ducking out in the closing stages.
His runner up Rivarine was touched off in the Listed Storm Bird Stakes next time out; the third-placed horse Janoobi won his maiden next time out by seven lengths; and the fourth-placed Ribovar also won his maiden next time out.
The form thus points to He’s A Var being feature race material and this is not surprising considering his impressive looks.
She’s A Winner, under Bestel’s nurturing, won on debut over 1200m at Scottsville back in March 2008.
Second time out she won the Gr 3 Godolphin Barb Stakes over the same course and distance, thrashing the boys including subsequent twice Gr 1-winner, the Mike de Kock-trained Forest Path.
She then started favourite for the Gr 1 Allan Robertson, but nothing went right for her that day. Breathing issues subsequently plagued her and led to her premature retirement.
She’s A Winner is owned by stalwart Durban-based owner and breeder Eric Buhr.
She stands at the Clifton Stud farm of Peter and Jenny Blyth. Her progeny are also bred under the banner of this KZN Midlands stud farm.
Her first foal Star Silvano by Silvano fetched R225,000 at the National yearling Sales, but unfortunately an injury while in training prevented her from ever racing.
Star Silvano is currently in foal to Summerhill’s champion freshman sire Visionaire, a mating which should yield plenty of speed and class.
She’s A Fortress was next in line for She’s A Winner. The filly did not crack the nod for the National Yearling Sales, so Buhr decided to race her and sent her to Bestel, a yard he has had a long association with.
One of Bestel’s most loyal patrons, Georgie Paterson, also now has a share and as a person who loves her racing is sure to be bubbling with enthusiasm over this horse.
He’s A Var was next up and was sold at the KZN Suncoast Yearling Sales for R340 000 and is owned by Mrs A Snyman.
She’s A Winner currently has a yearling by Var which Buhr plans to keep for racing and breeding.
She also has a filly foal at foot by the Scott Brothers-based Gr 1 Middle Park Stakes-winning sir Crusade.
She’s A Winner is currently in foal to Rathmor Stud-based Noble Tune, whose pedigree just gets better and better due to the continuing success of his relatives in North America.
She’s A Winner’s curtailed racing career certainly caused immense disappointment for her connections, but she is beginning to repay a passionate group of racing owners who have stood by both her and her former trainer Corrine Bestel.