TRIPPI gelding Desert Sheik outpaced his rivals to wine  R150 000  Var Durban Dash over 1100m at Clairwood on Sunday.

Desert Sheik (Anthony Delpech) kicked into gear with 300m to run and kept up a strong gallop to win by 1,25 lengths from Midnight Run and Indaba My Children, clocking in a time of 63,48 secs.

Desert Sheik kept running strongly.

Desert Sheik, bred by Klawervlei Stud, was purchased for R800 000 at the Cape Premier Yearling Sale. He has won R344,250 from eight starts, winning four and placing three times for Gaynor Rupert’s Drakenstein Stud, Mike de Kock, Bernard Kantor and the Jooste family.

This race was the final event of an innovative three year sponsorship by the Var Syndicate.

Avontuur General Manager Pippa Mickleburgh said the initiative had been a huge success and that she hoped that the operator would continue to host the series and raise the profile of the emerging sprinter environment.

Earlier in the day Captain Al filly Love From Al (Delpech)put her name on the board in a Maiden Juvenile Plate over 1200m, winning for the partnership of  De Kock, Gary Grant and the Haynes family.

Love From Al holds off her rivals.