THE team at Avontuur Estate were ecstatic last week when SA champion sprinter Val De Ra  arrived home safely with her super Frankel foal in tow, from the Quarantine Facility at Drakenstein where she spent the last month. Mom and little ‘Miss Frankel’ are now settling in happily with other mares and foals in the paddocks at this Helderberg Stud Farm.

With her maternal instincts proven beyond doubt after giving birth in the UK in 2013 to a strong filly by another of the world’s top sires, Oasis Dream, and after being covered by Frankel she took on the long trip home to SA with her first foal at foot earlier this year.

“She is looking well and the filly is a real character.  We had a fantastic visit by Val de Ra’s trainer during her racing days, Dennis Drier, and his wife Gill earlier this week and we all agreed that this foal has that something special,” says Avontuur GM Pippa Mickleburgh.  “Val de Ra was recently covered by Oratorio and we are now waiting to see if she is with foal again, but in the meantime she’s enjoying a well-deserved routine and is getting lots of pampering by all of us.”

Val de Ra (Var x Minelli) had a blazing career in South Africa and was crowned the Equus Champion Sprinter for the 2010-11 season with her greatest moment arguably when she beat What A Winter in the 2012 Cape Flying Championship.

Released for Avontuur Estate by Cobie van Oort

Caption: Val de Ra and Miss Frankel are enjoying their time together, as they settle in at Avontuur. (Picture: Liesl King)