Vincente – Var colt. Full brother to Gr1 Val De Ra (#226)
Group 1 or just having fun? Whatever your dream, the Avontuur success story is based on the rock solid foundations of good old fashioned family values, uncompromising quality and the tenet that the best of blood rules the land.
From humble beginnings in the 1980’s, the late Tony Taberer’s dream has grown to fruition with the farm having made giant strides in the past five years.
The statistics show that Dominion Royale was rock solid. But the sensational Var has been a revelation.
The Avontuur dream has well and truly come together in recent years.
Since his arrival in 2005, one of the fastest horses ever to race in Europe has turned the local industry on its head and outperformed even the wildest expectations.
He has produced the winners from 1000m to 3200m and, and whether it’s a Gr1 Computaform Sprint winner, a Guineas or Queen’s Plate winner, or a Gr1 Gold Cup winner that you are looking for, Var is the point of departure.
It is a case of buy a Var, and enjoy a winner. Why complicate the issue?
Off the Mark – Jet Master filly out of Gr1 Sport’s Chestnut (#60)
Speaking to the Sporting Post on the eve of what is expected to be a bumper Cape Premier Yearling Sale next week, Avontuur General Manager Pippa Mickleburgh expressed her delight and excitement at her draft of eleven. There are four fillies and seven colts on offer:
“ I am truly thrilled with this beautiful draft. There is something for every taste and remember that we are there to sell – not to bring them home!” she said with enthusiasm.
And Variety Club’s sensational Gr L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate victory?
“I am thrilled for Joey Ramsden, Markus and Ingrid Jooste, as well as Anton Shepherd. Saturday was a hazy blue and white dream! But the beauty is that Var is no one hit wonder! There are more of where he came from in training and in the breeding paddocks,” she said.
It is exciting times at the base of the beautiful Helderberg.
Avontuur’s new acquisition, the Danehill stallion Oratorio, who set Europe alight last season, arrives in Cape Town in the next few days and will shortly take up his duties alongside Var.
Our Paddock Notebook
We were privileged to view the eleven Avontuur yearlings at the end of last week and a pen pic out of our notebook provides an exciting overview of the intrinsic quality of this superb draft.
Lot 106 is a Jay Peg colt out of the Captain Al mare Alluvial. Named Kallang River after the longest river in Singapore (where his sire achieved a big win in the Gr1 SAI Cup), he is a high quality, lovely strong colt and is typical of the dam’s sire
The very first one out on day 2 will be Lot 118, a Jet Master filly out of the Betchley Park mare Azabu Park. The dam has three winners from her three runners, and this is an outstanding female line. Named Jet Set Go, this filly is a gorgeously attractive correct medium-sized specimen. Frankly, she is such a pretty girl!
Lot 200 is a Var colt out of the Linney Head mare, Lady Linney. Named Sir Var, this ruggedly robust grey hails from the E-Fuel family and looks like he will go a mile plus. He is an excellently boned specimen and is a real toughie!
Adjectives elude us in trying to find an appropriate tag for Val De Ra’s full-brother.
Mastermind – Var colt, dam half-sister to Royal IQ, Mentor, My Kazzie (#232)
Come and have a look at Lot 226 and find out what a racehorse is meant to like like! He is a Var colt out of the Elliodor mare Minelli. A big strong good- looking fellow. Smashing, almost doesn’t say enough!
Lot 230 is a Var first foal filly out of the seven-time multiple group winning Silvano mare Mochachino. Appropriately named Varachino, this is an excellent female line and Varachino doesn’t look like a typical first foal. She is an absolute powerhouse!
Lot 232 is a Var colt out of the Jallad mare Model I Q. Named Mastermind (how clever is that?), this big strong, strapping lad is a full brother to the brilliant Dennis Drier-trained Schiffer. That happens to be the only horse to have beaten the sensational Via Africa.
His brother sold for R1 million on the 2011 CPYS.
Lot 33 is a Var colt out of the Cure The Blues mare Red Remedy. Named Rock Me Var, this flashy, athletic colt has the stamp of a miler and hails from a top-class family. They are versatile too, having won from 1000m to 2500m.
Lot 34 is an Argonaut colt out of the Irish River mare River Divine. Named River God, this half-brother to the very fast Valdivia, is a scopy, flashy individual. From the second crop of Argonaut, he is a credit to his handsome sire.
There is plenty of paddock value in Lot 60! She is a Jet Master filly out of the Sportsworld mare Sport’s Chestnut. Named Off The Mark, the filly hails from the last crop of the ill-fated champion stallion Jet Master. Her dam Sport’s Chestnut won four times when trained by Mike Bass, and her victories include a brilliant Gr1 Cape Fillies Guineas victory. She has produced two stakes placed performers in Sports Coach and Sports Acclaim.
Lot 84 is a colt by first season sire, Seventh Rock. Named Malta Rocks, he also just happens to be Var’s first grandson to be offered for sale. This good looking grey colt is a first foal for the Var mare Valeta and looks to be an early precocious sort
Lot 87 is a Western Winter filly out of the National Assembly mare Viva. Named Cold As Ice, she is a crackerjack of a big, strong strapping beauty and will be very fast. Western Winter is enjoying the season of his life and the cross is an interesting one with the speed of the seven-time winning Viva likely to play a serious role.
Pippa extended an open invitation to all visitors, trainers and other interested parties to visit the Avontuur lounge at the Cape Town International Convention Centre from Tuesday 22 January.
Besides a viewing of this outstanding crop of yearling, visitors can look forward to a full wine tasting of the Avontuur range and the company and conversation of passionate racing folk.
Enquiries: [email protected]
