It was a case of 1-2-3 for Avontuur Thoroughbred Farm’s top class sire Var this weekend, for not only was the son of Forest Wildcat represented by three impressive South African winners, but 2yo sons of Var ran 1-2-3 in a race at Kenilworth on Saturday.
First of the Vars to score this weekend, was the Avontuur bred Normanz, who lifted the Flying Five (non black type) over 1000m at Fairview on Friday. The six-year-old gelding, a former G1 Golden Horse Casino Sprint winner, made it win number eight (and his third win in a row) when defying top weight of 61kgs to lift the R110 000 race by 1.75 lengths from former Listed In Full Flight Handicap winner Captain Alfredo. (Another by Var, Tar Heel, filled the third spot).
Var, who has an exceptional crop of 2yos this season, was represented by his 9th individual juvenile winner when his well bred son Virtue made a winning debut over 1000m at Kenilworth on Staurday. Remarkably, Virtue beat his paternal half-brothers Henry Tudor and Forest Prince into second and third respectively, to give Var a 1-2-3 finish in the maiden juvenile plate.
Bred by the Cheveley Stud, Virtue was a R275 000 purchase from last year’s National Yearling Sale. (A half-brother to G1 winner Ivory Trail, Virtue has a Dynasty half-sister on offer at next week’s National Yearling Sale).
Other notable 2yos representing Var this season include the undefeated Varallo who has been entered in the G3 Godolphin Barb Stakes.
Var’s third and final local winner this weekend came when Hot August won his second race at Turffontein on Saturday for trainer David Nieuwenhuizen.
Sire of 18 individual G1 horses, Var’s recent graded winners include Exquisite Touch and Rivarine –both of whom have been entered for the R1 000 000 G1 Computaform Sprint.
He has 28 yearlings on sale at next week’s National Yearling Sale, with Var’s draft including a filly out of a ½ sister to G1 winning sprinter O Caesour (Lot 278) a colt out of top class racemare and producer Azabu Park (Lot 298), a colt out of Fillies Guineas winner Festival Of Fire (Lot 394), a son of G1 Summer Cup winner Flirtation (Lot 401), and a filly out of Fort Wood’s G1 winning daughter Urabamba (Lot 235).