Avontuur Thoroughbred Farm’s top sire Var has made a sparkling start to the 2017-2018 season and the son of Forest Wildcat’s hot streak continued when he was represented by three winners at Durbanville’s mid-week meeting on Wednesday.
His Sabine Plattner bred and owned daughter Evelina justified favouritism when winning the first race of the day for the in-form combination of Andre Nel and Aldo Domeyer. The filly, who scored a convincing first win over 1400m on Wednesday, is out of the G3 Prix Du Cap winning Western Winter mare Winter Burst.
Evelina is thus bred on the same Var/Western Winter cross as stakes winners Le Var and Winter Passion as well as G1 Gold Medallion second Varallo.
Sabine Plattner and Andre Nel also teamed up with Var’s talented son Percival to land Wednesday’s sixth race, with Percival (who was picking his sixth career win) accounting for star 2yo of last season Dutch Philip in the 1000m contest. Making his first start since May, the La Plaisance bred gelding made all to score a neck win at the expense of the late flying Black Cat Back, with last season’s G3 Cape Nursery winner Dutch Philip back in third.
Var’s other winner on Wednesday came when his daughter Woodstock Fairy powered home to win her first race over 2000m for trainer Candice Bass-Robinson. Bred on the same Var/Fort Wood cross as G1 winner Contador, Woodstock Fairy was trying the trip for a first time but clearly relished the 2000m trip. She is the fourth winner for G3 Jacaranda Handicap winner Olympic Storm, dam also of smart stakes winning stayer Storm Warning.
Her red-hot sire Var has some very classy 3yos representing him this season, including the above mentioned Varallo (entered to run at Greyville on Sunday). Other notable sophomores for Var in 2017-2018 include Golden Horseshoe hero Purple Diamond, Cape Nursery second and G3 Matchem Stakes entrant Speedpoint, and impressive recent debut winner Valbonne.
Var is also enjoying increasing success as a broodmare sire, and features as damsire of smart stakes winners She’s A Giver, Mambonick and the very exciting filly Miss Frankel.