A few years ago, Avontuur Thoroughbred Farm sold a Greys Inn colt for R425 000 at the National Yearling Sale.
Given the name Legal Eagle, the charismatic bay established himself as one of the best racehorses to grace the South African turf in many a year, with Legal Eagle winning 15 races and earning in excess of R12.199 million in prize money.
Among Legal Eagle’s notable triumphs (he won eight G1 races in total) included three wins in the G1 L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate and a hatrick of victories in the G1 H F Oppenheimer Horse Chestnut Stakes.
Twice named Horse Of The Year, the Avontuur bred Legal Eagle captured no fewer than eight Equus Awards in total!
The farm will be hoping history can repeat itself when they bring another high-class draft to this year’s National Yearling Sale.
Avontuur was established in the late 1980’s by the late Tony Taberer, and today is in the ownership of his sons Michael and Philip. Long-term General Manager Pippa Mickleburgh still holds the reins, which ensures stability and continuity. The hardworking Pippa also manages both the Avontuur winery and restaurant, and clearly the farm’s ongoing success owes much to her endeavours.
It owed plenty of its early success to the much missed Forest Wildcat horse Var (sire of such champions as Variety Club, Val De Ra and Via Africa -herself dam of Australian G1 winner In The Congo), with the estate’s current stallion roster headed by Oratorio and Var’s beautifully bred son Talk Of The Town.
The lavish farm, whose boutique band of broodmares include mares from some outstanding families, is no stranger to enjoying top-level success, both on the racetrack and in the sales ring.
Avontuur are also breeders of this season’s very promising three-year-old Litigation (like Legal Eagle, a son of Greys Inn) a brilliant, three and a half length winner of the Listed Derby Trial.
The farm will be offering a Var half-sister (Lot 446) to Litigation at the 2022 National Yearling Sale, with Avontuur’s draft also including a Trippi half-sister (Lot 55) to champion Tempting Fate, as well as a Trippi colt (Lot 131) out of durable Met winner, and G1 producer, River Jetez and a Gimmethegreenlight half-brother (Lot 429) to high-class sprinters Attenborough and Al Sakeet.
This string is made up of lots by such standout sires as Gimmethegreenlight, Silvano, Trippi,Var and Vercingetorix, as well as by such well bred G1 winning stallions as Erupt and Lancaster Bomber.
Avontuur’s draft will be available for viewing at block C at the TBA complex come the week of the National Yearling Sale.
Image: Legal Eagle / Candiese Lenferna
