Avontuur Thoroughbred Farm, breeders of such champions as Legal Eagle and Val De Ra, are enjoying another wonderful season in 2023-2024. Not only did Avontuur breed recent G1 Jonsson Workwear Computaform Sprint winner Thunderstruck (also victorious in the 2024 G2 Khaya Stables Diadem Stakes), the farm also bred this season’s graded stakes winners Litigation (G3 Betway London News Stakes) and October Morn (G2 Cartier Sceptre Stakes). The Avontuur draft for the National Yearling Sale is an impressive one, and it is made up of yearlings sired by all of Captain Of All, Erupt, Futura, Gimmethegreenlight, One World, Oratorio, Vercingetorix, and What A Winter.

Pippa Mickleburgh said of her draft, “All in all they are a super bunch and have been an absolute pleasure to prep.” However, Pippa singled out the following yearlings as standouts in Avontuur’s draft:

The colts:
Lot 245: October Storm c Vercingetorix-Miss October.
An exciting colt..tall athletic and very correct.
Looks like a true miler…stunning temperament and the mare has been a real star..so definitely a horse that will attract nice interest.
Lot 130: Headstart c Gimmethegrenlight x Esteemal
Very strong rugged colt..powerful hind quarter and sure has a desire to ” move”… proper colt from a young mare from a lovely family..exciting colt.
Lot 358: Constellation c What A Winter -Star Burst  Galaxy
A classy speed machine bred to win someone the Computaform Sprint.!!
A beautiful looker he reminds me lot of the Vars of the past..

The fillies
Both One World fillies (Lot 32, Lot 53) are big and strong, correct and easy moving types. I am very chuffed with both of them…plain bays but they both have, I think, an X factor.
I do like Apostrophe (Lot 299), I see her half sister, Valieva, just ran second.
She is a tall athletic daughter of Futura a beauty..lovely female line to boot. She could be anything.

This draft can be found in Block C at the TBA Complex in Germiston.