Avontuur Thoroughbred Farm’s leading sire Var made headlines this season when he garnered the title of Champion Sire of 2YOS for the 2016-2017 season.

The son of Forest Wildcat enjoyed a magnificent spell with his two-year-olds last season, with Var represented by 21 individual juvenile winners during the season.

His top two-year-old performers included G2 Durban Golden Horseshoe winner Purple Diamond, G1 Tsogo Sun Gold Medallion runner up Varallo, and G3 Cape Of Good Hope Nursery runner up Speedpoint.
Other promising 2yos to represent the brilliant sire this season included So Var, winner of three in a row and runner up in the G3 Avontuur Umkhomazi Stakes, and debut winner Valedictorian.

Var ended the 2016-2017 with his two-year-olds having banked R2 599 919 (according to the NHA) and finished the season more than R570 000 clear of runner up Sail From Seattle (with the latter represented by an impressive 22 juvenile winners for the season).

While Var’s season was dominated by 2yo winners, he also enjoyed success with his older runners including such graded winners as Exquisite Touch and Rivarine.

A proven sire of high-class two-year-olds, whose past 2yo stars include the G1 winner Villandry, Var is the sire of more than 70 stakes horses, with his stars including champions Variety Club, Val De Ra and Via Africa.

The former sprint king has an exceptionally strong draft of nine at the 2017 National Two Year Old Sale, with Var’s draft including a half-sister to G1 winner Nightingale (Lot 124) a colt out of Captain Al’s regally bred stakes winning daughter Victorian Secret (Lot 223), a colt out of a G3 winning half-sister to champion Cherry On The Top (Lot 314) and a half-brother to Equus Champion Hammie’s Hooker (Lot 404).