Last season’s impressive Gr3 Winter Classic winner Vardy (128) is likely to follow the well-worn route of the Green Point Stakes into the L’Ormarin’s Queen’s Plate and Sun Met this summer.
The 4yo son of Var has not been seen out since comprehensively downing recent Matchem Stakes winner One World in the classic back in May.
Co-owner Greg Blank and trainer Adam Marcus lead Vardy and Craig Zackey in after the Winter Classic (Pic – Chase Liebenberg)
The Gr2 Green Point Stakes is a support feature to the Gr1 Cape Fillies Guineas, which is run at Kenilworth on Saturday 14 December. The Queen’s Plate will be run on 11 January, while the Met is scheduled for 1 February 2020.
A winner from 1200m to 1800m, Vardy has been out of action since the Winter Classi. In the interim he has had a small chip removed from a knee.
In an interview with Fiona Ramsden on Sunday evening’s Breeding To Win Show, trainer Adam Marcus said his still immature charge had been back in work for ‘a couple of weeks’.
“Physically he is a better horse than he was in the winter season. I’m looking forward to the season ahead,” said Marcus, who added he had a small but exciting string at his disposal, but was very aware of the fact that it looked to be a vintage year with last season’s stars a high-class bunch.
He mentioned Snaith’s dual July winner Do It Again as a horse to respect.
Vardy is a R400 000 Cape Premier Yearling Sale graduate. Lightly raced, he has won 4 races with 3 places from 7 starts, with earnings over R1,1 million.
Bred by the Tawny Syndicate, Vardy is out of the unraced Jet Master mare Cupid and Marcus said he was thrilled have his stable star’s 2yo Dynasty brother also in training at his Milnerton base.
Coincidentally, Vardy’s regular pilot Craig Zackey, who has been aboard at all but one of his starts, is due back race riding this week following an operation.
