Oratorio – great start to the year
Avontuur Thoroughbred Farm’s world class young sire Oratorio made the perfect start to 2015 when his son Mourinho picked up the fourth black type race of his career.
A late nomination for the Gr2 MVRC Australia Stakes, Mourinho outgunned a field of top class Australian performers to earn the eighth win of his career.
His previous stakes successes had come in the Group 3 JRA Cup in 2014, as well as as the G3 Tasmanian Derby in 2011.
Jumping away well, Mourinho settled just off the speed in fourth, before starting his run rounding the turn for home.
Slipping through along the inside, Mourinho hit the front shortly after entering the straight.
Digging in deep, the now seven-year-old proved too good under Vlad Duric, holding off the fast finishing It Is Written (Written Tycoon) and Matthew Allen with Dissident (Sebring) and Ben Melham third.
Classy galloper Mourinho
The margins were a short neck and 1 1/4L with the time 1.09.95 on the upgraded Good 3 track, with the final 600m in 34.69.
“Anything can happen in racing, when you’ve got a good horse and without pumping up my own tyres, I work very hard as all trainers do,” said Moe based trainer Peter Gelagotis.
“We come to the races in the hope that our horse get luck in running and run credibly.
“What a super horse he has turned out to be for us, he loves this place [Moonee Valley].”
From his sire’s first Australian crop, Mourinho’s win on Saturday pushed his earnings to over $800 000.
He is one of 42 stakes winners for his sire, whose offspring earned over $39 million – competing successfully at the highest level throughout the world.
Oratorio, a dual Champion Sire in Italy and multiple Group 1 winning son of Danehill, stands alongside leading sire Var at Avontuur.
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