Variety Star finishes strongly under Richard Fourie to seal the Var trifecta (Coastal Photos)
Avontuur star stallion Var sired the first three home in Friday’s R150 000 Listed Milkwood Stakes run over 1000m at Fairview. The only three daughters of the son of Forest Wildcat in the fourteen strong field had the speed contest to them selves as Richard Fourie produced Justin Snaith’s 4yo Variety Star to beat the year younger Maties Wildekat in a rousing finish.
Yvette Bremner trained the longshot Vivalda, who showed courage to run a cracking third at any price.
Winter arrived in the Eastern Cape but there was plenty of hot stuff on the track and the feature produced a top quality finish.
A lighthearted twist in the final 100m of this super quick affair was legendary local commentator Bumpie Schoeman breaking into afrikaans as the obviously awkwardly named Maties Wildekat (wild cat in english) battled it out with Variety Star.
Local speedster Yoshie ruined her chances at the gates by playing up and being slowly away(although the Stipes didn’t think so) and this allowed the very capable Variety Star to turn the tables and register her personal first dollop of black type.
Richard Fourie rode another good race
Yoshie had accounted for Variety Star over the course and distance at their last outing.
Tobe’s Lass was a brief leader under inexperienced apprentice Dylan Mo but she faded quickly as Vivalda and Maties Wildekat came forward at the 400m and looked set to battle it out.
But Richard Fourie had been bluffing down the inside and he produced Variety Star who skated home to win by 0,25 lengths. No time was published.
Fourie piloted the winner and broke his drought with a fine double that signalled his first winning rides in the month of June.
Variety Star was bred by Patricia Devine Investments (Pty) Ltd and is out of the eight time winning Kilconnel mare, Elite Star.
She is consistency personified and has won 5 races with 10 places from 22 starts and R327 780 in stakes.
The Stipes reported:
Maties Wildekat had to be led to the start and has to be recertified tractable on a raceday. She also stumbled and hung in during the closing stages.
Nona In Command was reported not striding out and pulled up short on the left fore.
Piink Martini made an abnormal respiratory noise and was found to be uneven in front after the race.
Vivalda shifted in late, carrying Jackie O in.
Flying Foo suffered a bilateral epistaxis and has been suspended.
