Winter Smoke proves she's back on fire

Danie Toerien

Winter Smoke proved many punters wrong when she took the honours in the Grade 2 Camellia Stakes over 1160m at Turffontein.

Paying R17 for the win, it goes without saying that most bettors did not have this What A Winter filly on their radar.

She did score twice over course and distance before, but this time round she looked impeccable under Ryan Munger. The four-year-old has been tested against some solid runners in her career, without much success, but looks to have matured into a serious contender for more graded honours.

“Winter Smoke is definitely back to her best now,” said trainer Ashley Fortune after the race.

“Everyone kind of wrote her off as a has-been, but on her best day, she’s definitely capable of producing the goods.

“I’m so glad that she’s got her Grade 2. Fillies, like women, don’t age. They just mature. And she is definitely getting stronger.

“She’s had one or two niggles, but nothing serious, and she’s definitely getting over them.

“The harder the ground, the better her reaction.”

According to Fortune, Winter Smoke could well be seen in KwaZulu-Natal later in the season after her fantastic performance in the Camellia Stakes.

“I might take her to the fillies sprint at Scottsville, tentatively speaking.

“She did run fourth in the Alan Robertson as a two-year-old, so I would really like to seek some more glory for her there.”