The Champion! Variety Club and Anton Marcus power ahead to win the Gr1 mile at Clairwood
Avontuur Stud’s powerhouse stallion duo of Oratorio and Var have continued to notch the Gr1 successes with astonishing regularity this season. The roll continued this weekend with a win apiece in the Northern and Southern Hemisphere respectively.
The humility and home grown success of this professional breeding operation is summed up in the small things that make all the difference with the big stallions. Avontuur General Manager Pippa Mickleburgh places great emphasis on relationships. With people. But also with her horses.
Smiling! Pippa Mickleburgh says its taken two decades
Like the fact that she was feeding polo mints to her favourite man Var at midnight on Saturday evening. That was only hours after stepping off the plane from Durban, where she had witnessed his brilliant son Variety Club annihilate his opposition in the Gr1 Rising Sun Gold Challenge.
“It was a long day. Clairwood was buzzing with a great vibe and when Variety Club won, well that put the cherry on the top of it,” she laughed. “We got back at midnight and went straight to the man who has changed all of our lives. His one weakness is polo mints. I reckon he has earned a midnight snack every so often!” she said with a smile. With Oratorio’s arrival from Coolmore in January, Avontuur now boast a two fisted punch!
“Call it good fortune. Call it what you will. We are so very blessed to have these two brilliant sires to carry the Avontuur name into the next generation. But it has not been an overnight success by any means either! This is the product of the hardwork and a philosophy established by the Late Tony Taberer. It has taken two decades. His vision and foresight set the foundation for our success today,” she said.
Biz The Nurse holds true to his status as favourite as he skips clear to win the 2013 Gr1 Gran Premio Di Milano
The Avontuur Gr1 hits never seem to end! Military Attack (Oratorio) has scored three terrific Gr1 wins this year , culminating in the $3 million Singapore Airlines International Cup at Kranj, coincidentally on the same day Oratorio’s son Biz The Nurse won the Italian Derby!
Not to overlook Var’s incredible Gr1 double on our premier Sprint raceday at Scottsville last month with superb wins by our fastest 3yo filly Via Africa, and the handsome flyer Contador. And then on Sunday, the recent Gr2 Italian Derby winner Biz The Nurse took on his elders for the first time in the Gr1 Gran Premio di Milano and scored a convincing victory.
The Oratorio colt won by over two lengths from last year’s Italian Derby runner-up Wild Wolf and became the first 3-year-old to score the rare double since Tommy Way 27 years ago in 1986. He is the first Italian-trained winner of that age since Sirlad in 1977.
Biz The Nurse won his previous two starts this year by a combined margin of six lengths. Following a two-length win in the Premio Botticelli he won the Italian Derby by four lengths at the same track to take his tally to three wins from four career starts.
Biz The Nurse was bred in Ireland by Massimo Parri out of the stakes-winning Tobougg mare Biz Bar. He is from the family of 1979 Irish and French St. Leger winner and sire Niniski. Biz The Nurse has shown promise that he could develop into a performer of international calibre. These are exciting times, as Pippa says!
