Avontuur Thoroughbred Farms’ resident stallions Oratorio and Var dominated feature race action at Scottsville on Sunday, with Oratorio responsible for the first two home in the day’s G3 Godolphin Barb and Var sire of Sunday’s eye catching G3 Poinsettia Stakes winner Sommerlied.

The latter powered home to post a neck victory, over recent Listed KwaZulu Natal Stakes winner Neptune’s Rain, in Sunday’s R250 000 sprint. It was another three parts of a length to last year’s winner, and G1 Allan Robertson Fillies Championship winner, The Secret Is Out.

Bred and owned by Maine Chance Farms, the Dennis Drier trained Sommerlied has now won six of her ten outings, with the four year’s previous wins including the 2017 Listed Laisserfaire Stakes.

She is one of 40 stakes winners sired by former sprint star Var, who was South Africa’s Champion Sire of 2YOs last season.
The son of Forest Wildcat has enjoyed another outstanding season with his two-year-olds this season and, at the time of writing, is once again leading the Leading Sires’ Of 2yos list.

Var’s 13 juvenile winners thus far include the brilliant, but short-lived, debut winner Zinedine, Tarsus (the first 2yo to win in open company in 2017-2018), Strelitzia Stakes favourite Val-La-Ree, impressive debut winner Ghaalla and Storm Bird Stakes third Heavenly Risk.

The sire of 20 G1 horses, and counting, Var could be on track for more feature race success. He has two sons nominated for Sunday’s Listed Somerset 1200, daughter Carioca is entered for the same day’s Listed Perfect Promise Sprint, two potential runners in Saturday’s G2 SA Nursery, while his R5 million yearling buy daughter Ghaalla is a runner in this Saturday’s G2 SA Fillies Nursery.

Var is also responsible for Saturday’s G1 Computaform Sprint hope Speedpoint, G2 Wilgerbosdrift SA Oaks nominee Gottalottaluv, and G2 Camellia Stakes entrant Schippers.