Two Gr1 winning stallions are currently first and second on South Africa’s Leading First Crop Sires List.
Ahead of affairs is Drakenstein Stud’s exciting young stallion What A Winter (Western Winter), who is currently the Leading First Crop Sire in South Africa both by stakes and winners.

What A Winter, whose runners have currently amassed R171 925, is just R17 050 clear of runner up Crusade (Mr Greeley).

Interestingly enough, both young stallions are male line descendants of Gone West, with the latter sire of both Western Winter and Mr Greeley.

What A Winter has made a truly remarkable start with his first 2yos this year- seven of his first eight juvenile runners have either won or finished in the money. This tally includes impressive debut winner Magical Wonderland (who accounted for the well touted Miss Frankel (Frankel) first time out) and stakes placed Dutch Philip.

In contrast, Crusade has had 11 runners, of which seven have won or finished in the money. His tally is headed by eye catching debut winner Miss Millionaire.

A triple Equus Champion, What A Winter won 15 times including four Gr1 races, with his principal victories including the Gr1 Computaform Sprint, two runnings of the Gr1 Cape Flying Championship and the Gr1 Mercury Sprint.

One of the best sons of triple champion sire Western Winter, the champion sprinter once again proved popular at the recent Cape Premier Yearling Sale, where his yearlings fetched up to R2.8 million.

Like outstanding sires Oasis Dream, Petingo, Sharpen Up and Diesis, Crusade won the storied Gr1 Middle Park Stakes at two.

Out of the blistering fast Gr3 Victory Ride Stakes winner La Traviata (Johannesburg), Crusade is a half-brother to outstanding filly Seventh Heaven (Galileo) –whose four wins included both the Gr1 Darley Irish and Gr1 Darley Yorkshire Oaks in 2016.