David Thiselton

THE ASHLEY FORTUNE-TRAINED and Pippa Mickelburgh-bred Futura colt Avenir was the horse to take out of yesterday’s meeting at Hollywoodbets Greyville as he was backed into favourite for the Maiden Plate race over 1400m on turf and got up despite enduring a rough passage.

In the end it was the class and experience of Anton Marcus, helped by the physical strength and resolve of the horse, which made the difference and the former would have breathed a sigh of relief when the judge’s verdict went his way. 

Marcus expertly got him over from a draw of ten to find the rail in midfield. 

As they turned for home a gap opened down the middle and Marcus elected to go straight for it. 

However, the horse in front of him drifted outward and Avenir was practically T-boned by two horses who were holding their positions on the outside. 

Avenir was jostled a couple of times as Marcus attempted to get through the gap again and later he was bumped when trying to shift outwards to get through another gap.

The big horse finally had a clear run at the 300m mark and he started making up the leeway.

Marcus gave him a couple of smacks but it was from the 100m onward that the presence of the great jockey told.

He put the stick away when less experienced jockeys would likely have been doing the opposite. He must surely have analysed that this horse had courage in tenfolds to still be trying after such a rough passage and did not require, or deserve, any more punishment. He was able to keep the horse straight with encouragement from the hands and the horse let himself down superbly in the final stages, thus making full use of his lengthy stride. He won by the skin of his teeth from the hard-knocking Jay’s Dancer. He did not beat a quality field but to have come through that battering and still win on debut around the turn at Hollywoodbets Greyville had said a lot. 

It was the first of a fine sequence for the Fortune yard as they recorded a hat-trick at The Vaal today. 

Marcus was full of praise for Avenir’s courage after the race and humbly said he had little to do with the victory.

This horse should improve with age and as he goes further.  

Pippa Mickelburgh, stud manager of Avontuur Thoroughbred Farms, recalled, “There was a competition for the best-looking foal by Futura with the prize being a free service and I was confident he would win it. He didn’t but I said to the winner, ‘Oh well then we will beat you on the racecourse!’.”

She continued, “His dam Varsity Queen comes from an old Avontuur family which includes the like of stakes winners Schiffer, My Kazzie, Mentor, Royal IQ and Wise King. We sold her but later I bought her back as a one-time winner from trainer Bart Rice when he departed for Korea. She then produced a succession of magnificent looking foals and this is proven by the first of them called Graduate by Oratorio selling for R3,2 million.”

Graduate was later part of a dispersal and MIckelburgh continued, “I will always remember trainer Dennis Bosch saying he thought he was a July horse but unfortunately he went wrong (after four wins). Her second foal also by Oratorio was the Paul Peter-trained filly Operetta who has won seven times.”

Avenir was bought by Rathmor Stud on behalf of prolific owner Mario Ferreira for R500,000 at the Cape Thoroughbred Sales Premier Yearling Sale and if he remains sound this could prove to be a bargain.

At this year’s CTS Premier Yearling Sale Adam Marcus bough Varsity Queen’s Silvano colt for R625,000.

There is also a Gimmethegreenlight foal on the ground and she is currently in foal to Querari.