Avontuur’s leading sire Var, whose broodmare daughters are building an increasingly impressive record, enjoyed yet another memorable weekend this week.
The G1 winning son of Forest Wildcat had a trio of winners this past weekend, with Var’s trio headed by a very impressive juvenile winner in the form of Cavivar.

The latter caught the eye when downing the Snitzel filly Masaaqaat by 2.25 lengths in a juvenile plate on debut over 1000m at Turffontein on Saturday.
Bred by Lammerskraal Stud, the 2yo Cavivar is trained by Sean Tarry and was ridden to victory by the Avontuur sponsored Lyle Hewitson –who has recently become a fully fledged jockey.

Cavivar, a R325 000 buy from the 2018 National Yearling Sale, is another fine advert for the quality of 2yo that Var produces–and Var looks on track to defend his title of South Africa’s Leading Sire of 2YOs (he has headed that list the past two seasons running).

Var went close to enjoying a juvenile double, when his 2yo son Ground Control ran second, on debut, at Kenilworth on Saturday, with Var filly Ibra taking third in the same race.

Var also enjoyed success on Friday when his daughter Malinda romped home to shed her maiden impressively over 1300m for trainer Yvette Bremner and Lyle Hewitson at Fairview. The Piemonte Stud bred 3yo filly (bred on the same Var/Fort Wood cross as G1 winner Contador) has been the soul of consistency thus far, with Malinda having won or placed in eight of her nine starts.

Her half-sister Evelina provided Var with more success when that four-year-old filly picked up her fourth win, when scoring at Kenilworth on Saturday for trainer Andre Nel and owner-breeder Sabine Plattner. Evelina, who has now won or been second in each of her five last starts, is bred on the same Var/Western Winter cross as the high class performers Le Var, Winter Passion and Varallo.

The sire of Equus Champions Variety Club, Val De Ra and Via Africa (whose Redoute’s Choice colt made $320 000 at last week’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Sale), Var has ten lots on next week’s Cape Premier Yearling Sale including full-siblings to such high class stakes winners as Sommerlied, Rivarine and Tar Heel.