Avontuur Estate had reason to celebrate when Horse of the Year Variety Club, under the capable hands of regular jockey Anton Marcus, made it a day to remember when he won his first outing for the summer season in fine style on Saturday. It’s always a pleasure seeing a champ run and this was no exception! With the Queen’s Plate next on his calender and then hopefully an international campaign beckoning, the summer for Variety Club fans look exciting.
Within in a few minutes of this scintillating win, our first-ever entry into the Emperors’s Palace Ready-to-Run Sale in Joburg did us proud when long-time supporter Mike Azzie paid R500 000 for Avontuur-bred colt “High Stakes”, who we look forward to seeing in action in months to come.
Another high point was the excellent price received for a son of VAR, Variety Romp who “romped” home as the top-priced SA bred horse on the same Sale, going for R1.6 million to Charles Laird. He is out of three times winning mare, Rollicking Romp and numbers stakes winner Jet Jamboree as a half brother.
With the year winding up, we look forward to an exciting Cape Summer Racing Season and hope to see you all at the R750 000 Gr 1 Avontuur Fillies Guineas on Saturday, 8 December at Kenilworth.
