Western Winter, arguably the best stallion in South African history, died
Thursday after breaking a leg following colic surgery.
The 21-year-old, who stood at Mike Rattray’s Lammerskraal Stud near Cape Town
throughout his stud career, was South Africa’s leading freshman sire of 2001 and
champion general sire in 2003, 2005 and 2006. He is the all-time leading sire in
the country by prize money earned, with almost R105 million (US$10.6 million),
and is responsible for 20 Grade 1 winners, more than any other stallion in South
African history.
The Gone West stallion recorded 13 percent stakes winners to runners,
including back-to-back Horses of the Year Yard-Arm and Winter Solstice in 2004
and 2005, as well as two-year-old champion Argonaut and champion sprinter What A
Winter.
A $200,000 Keeneland September yearling purchase in 1993, Western Winter
raced in the United States and was trained by Mohammed Moubarak for Buckram Oak
Farm. He won Hialeah’s Joseph M. Farrell S. in his third outing in 1995 and went
on to be four times graded placed, including near misses to Langfuhr in the 1997
Carter H. (G1) and Met Mile. (G1)
Western Winter took up stud duties at Lammerskraal later that year, and he is
currently the sire of 76 stakes winners. He was produced by the winning Vice
Regent mare Chilly Hostess.