Avontuur Thoroughbred Farm’s prominent sire Var enjoyed yet another good weekend last weekend, with his trio of winners headed up by his son Rivarine landing the Listed Golden Loom Handicap at Turffontein on Saturday.
Rivarine, who provided jockey Gavin Lerena with a second feature race winner on Saturday, stormed down the centre of the track to lift the 1000m Golden Loom Handicap by half a length –with the gelding winning going away.
Trained by Mike and Adam Azzie, the five-year-old has now won six of 20 outings, with his Listed win on Saturday taking Rivarine’s earnings to R863 125.
Rivarine, who was having his first race since finishing third in last December’s G3 Lebelo Sprint, had previously lifted the 20176 G3 Lebelo Sprint, and was also runner up in both the G1 SA Nursery and Listed Storm Bird Stakes of 2016.
One of five winners produced by a daughter of Jet Master on Saturday, Rivarine was originally bought for R600 000 at the 2015 Cape Premier Yearling Sale.
He is one of 42 stakes winners sired by Var, South Africa’s Champion Sire of 2YOs for the past two seasons running.
Var also enjoyed success with his son Victory Team in Mauritius on Saturday, while another runner by Var, the R5 million buy Ghaalla, ran third in Saturday’s G3 HSH Princess Charlene Starling Stakes at Turffontein. (Interestingly, both Ghaalla and Victory Team are out of mares by Captain Al).
Another by Var who caught the eye on Saturday was the Adam Marcus trained Vardy, who, like Rivarine, is out of a daughter of Jet Master.
Bred by Tawny Syndicate, the 3yo gelding romped home to win as he liked on debut, over 1200m at Kenilworth on Saturday.
Vardy looks yet another potentially smart sort in the making to represent Var, whose success continues non-stop.
The son of Forest Wildcat has three lots on this month’s CTS Ready To Run Sale.