VAR’s champion daughter Via Africa is hogging the limelight in a big way.
The ink had barely dried on the news that her Gr1 winning son In The Congo is to embark on a stallion career, when her yearling daughter sold for a sale-topping A$1.8-million at Day 2 of the Inglis Easter Sale in Sydney.
By The Autumn Sun, a champion son of Redoute’s Choice, the bay filly with three white stockings was purchased by Arrowfield Stud and Hermitage Thoroughbreds.
Arrowfield master John Messara described the filly as “something special”.
“She was an absolute queen, a true athlete,’’ Messara said.
“I think she’s a particularly exciting prospect because of her physical characteristics – she had balance, she had scope, she had substance, she was a great mover, she had everything you look for.
Via Africa is too good for the boys in the Gr1 Cape Flying Championship (Hamish Niven Photography)
“She’s a very valuable commodity, we paid a lot of money for her.’’
For vendor Rob Petith of Silverdale, it was an extraordinary result, considering he had purchased the filly for $600,000 as a weanling.
The filly is Via Africa’s fourth foal. In addition to In The Congo, the mare has produced Pleasant Endeavour, a four-time winner in Hong Kong, while her third foal, a juvenile filly by Vancouver, has yet to make her debut.
Sadly, Via Africa gave birth to a dead foal by In The Congo’s sire Snitzel in early October, but returned to the champion in November.
