Avontuur’s top sire Var has enjoyed his customary good start to the new season, and the G1 winning son of Forest Wildcat was at it again over the weekend.
This time, Var enjoyed a two feature race winners in two different countries, with his daughter Schippers lifting The Ladies Stakes at Turffontein on Saturday and son Life Is Good winning the AFZ Borrowdale Sprint at Borrowdale on the same day.
Owned and bred by Geoff Van Lear, and one of two winners on the day for trainer Geoff Woodruff, 4yo Schippers stormed up late to post a three parts of a length win over Regal Graduation (sired by another Avontuur sire in the form of Oratorio).
The lightly raced filly, winning the first feature race of her career, has now won or been placed in six of her eight races. Schippers now a three time winner looks capable of picking up some black type before retiring to the paddocks.
Her paternal half-brother Life Is Good provided Var with more feature race success when landing Saturday’s AFZ Borrowdale Sprint by a facile three lengths. Storming home to win the 1000m feature as he liked, the 5yo gelded son of Var is bred and owned by Northfields Stud. Now a seven time winner, Life Is Good’s previous wins had included the Hachiman Sprint and he also finished second in the 2014 Zimbabwe Derby.
Var, who has been Champion Sire of 2YOs the past two seasons running, enjoyed a superb season in 2017-2018 when his runners included G1 South African Fillies Sprint winner Sommerlied, G2 SA Nursery hero William The Silent and G1 Computaform Sprint third Speedpoint.