Avontuur Thoroughbred Farm’s prominent stallion Var has been enjoying another memorable season and the G1 winning son of Forest Wildcat was at it again over the weekend.
Last season’s Champion Sire of 2YOs was represented by a trio of winning daughters in South Africa, with his two-year-old daughter Ghaalla making an impressive winning debut for champion trainer Mike de Kock and Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum at Turffontein on Saturday.

Bred by Varsfontein Stud, Ghaalla fought out a tremendous finish in a juvenile plate over 1160m with Celtic Sea, before getting up late to win by a head.

The Var filly, who is out of the Captain Al mare Fidelity, set a new record when she made R5 000 000 to top the 2017 National Yearling Sale.

A tilt at the G2 SA Fillies Nursery could be on the cards for Ghaalla.

Var’s other winners included G2 The Debutante third La Revere, who scored her second career win from just seven starts when victorious on Friday, while Schippers completed the Var treble when powering home, over 1160m at Turffontein on Saturday, to make it back to back wins. The consistent Schippers, bred and owned by Geoff van Lear, has now won or been second in all five of her career outings.

The former sprint champion is currently once again leading the Leading Sires of 2YOs list.
As can be expected, Var has a number of exciting two-year-old prospects representing him this season, including unbeaten filly Val-La-Ree, the above mentioned Ghaalla, as well as Heavenly Risk and Dewali- third and fourth in the recent Listed Storm Bird Stakes.

Sire of 20 G1 horses and counting, Var, who could be represented by four runners in the upcoming Listed Kwazulu Natal Stakes, has four lots on the April Yearling Sale and a further 16 lots on the 2018 Emperors Palace National Yearling Sale.