Avontuur Thoroughbred Farm’s leading stallion Var was represented by four winners over this past weekend, with the Var quartet including a 2yo stakes winner and a very impressive debut winner in the form of Varsity Lover.
The latter, a R3 600 000 buy from the 2017 Cape Premier Yearling Sale, romped to a length and a quarter at Kenilworth over 1000m on Saturday afternoon for trainer Candice Bass Robinson and jockey Aldo Domeyer.
Varsity Lover was the 22nd 2yo winner for Var this season joining the likes of William The Silent, Ghaalla, Dewal, Heavenly Risk and the ill-fated Zinedine.
Var, who is bidding to become South Africa’s Champion Sire of 2YOs for a second season running this year, was also responsible for another promising 2yo filly in the form of Mia Finola. The latter picked up the first black type win of her career when lifting the Listed Champagne Stakes at Borrowdale on Sunday for trainer Bridge Stidolph.
Bred by the Piemonte Stud, Mia Finola, now a winner of two of six outings, is one of more than 40 stakes winners sired by Var, whose other notable big race winners in 2017-2018 include G1 South African Fillies Sprint winner Sommerlied and G2 SA Nursery hero William The Silent.
Var’s other weekend winners included Mauritius scorer Var’s Dream and Counting Stars –with the latter wracking up his third win in a row when successful over 1200m at Fairview on Friday.
The sire of 22 individual G1 horses, Var will be represented by five lots at August’s National Two Year Old Sale, including a filly out of a Street Cry daughter of multiple G1 winner Crimson Palace (Lot 209), a half-sister to smart fillies Sylvan On Fire and Captain’s Princess (Lot 319) and a half-sister to G3 filly Love Vivien (Lot 398).