Oratorio
The arrival of the most exciting stallion to set foot on African soil this century will be officially launched at the Avontuur Estate raceday at Kenilworth on Saturday. Danehill stallion Oratorio certainly has all the exciting vital characteristics required to take the South African breeding industry by storm.
Breeding, conformation, track performance and an enviable producing record. What more could one demand of a top stallion?
Oratorio ticks all the right boxes and the great news is that the former Coolmore Australia resident is set to stand his first season at stud in this country in 2013, alongside the outstanding Var at Avontuur Estate in the magnificent Cape winelands.
Oratorio has already created an unparalleled buzz amongst local breeders and being, as he is, so typical of champion sire and sire of sires, Danehill, he creates many exciting options. Looking at his conformation as a medium- sized powerful individual, he would suit the taller leggy rangy mares.
There are many sire lines that suit him too, and being a grass horse who was able to see out a mile easily, he is surely going to slot in beautifully in South Africa. What are the odds that the classic milers are just around the corner?
We live in exciting times and the acquisition of this outstanding proven Gr1 sire is a coup in all respects, not only for Avontuur , but for the SA breeding industry at large.
The old adage says ‘stallions make farms’ and this certainly hold s true for the impact that the sensational Var has had on taking the Avontuur brand to the next level.
The farm, started by the late Tony Taberer in the 1980’s, had great success with their old stalwart Dominion Royale, who arrived as a proven sire and did an outstanding job.
Dominion Royale’s legacy lives on and after his retirement, the arrival of Var provided different challenges. Var required establishment and market acceptance from scratch. That fairytale is now well documented.
With Var now firmly entrenched, the step towards an established sire again, signals the next phase of Avontuur’s rise as a serious and key player in a competitive and tough industry.
So how did Oratorio land up in South Africa?
The simple philosophy of defining the need, identifying prospective candidates and then going out and getting it, has worked extremely well for Avontuur in the past.
But it is often easier said than done!
“Var came about because we identified the need for a genuine speed producer in this country. An assessment of the current situation is that there is a very real worrying shortage of proven genuine young stallions. One just has to look at the sire’s leader board to see that the horses on top are getting on in life. We have so many exciting new stallions and there is little question that one or two will fire. But we need proven horses as well,” said Avontuur GM Pippa Mickleburgh.
Pippa terms the timing and acquisition of Oratorio as fortuitous and suggests that it says a lot about the dynamic and aggressive approach of the Avontuur management team:
“ There are plenty of stallions on the market, but the proven top-class producers don’t get offered every day. When the availability of Oratorio came to our attention, Michael Taberer was on a plane within hours and the deal was signed quickly. These stallions cost a lot of money and are very difficult to source. Let’s face it, one would think that if someone were selling a proven horse he must be no good. We were lucky when we got offered Oratorio and frankly I think we surprised the sellers with the speed at which we moved. Maybe Var has taught us more than we realise!” she laughed.
Fortune favours the brave and since the deal was concluded Oratorio’s progeny have really and truly done Avontuur proud:
“Let’s face it Oratorio could stand anywhere in Europe and get a full book. We believe that the SA breeding industry is very fortunate to have him. I have no doubt that he will attract the good mares from the serious breeders, and with the Var syndicate behind him he will be very well supported.”
The interest and response to Oratorio has been ‘phenomenal’, according to Pippa:
“He is fully syndicated already, mostly by the Var syndicate who are back in force to support us again with a few additions. This is a strong powerful breeding syndicate with committed breeders in for the long haul,” she said.
Oratorio’s service fee would be decided by the syndicate in April 2013.
Oratorio is definitely not hype without substance. The credentials are there for all to see.
Oratorio’s versatility and ability as a racehorse are unquestioned.
He won from 1200 to 2000m. He was a Gr1 winning champion 2yo in France and also a dual Gr.1 winner of the Eclipse Stakes and Irish Champion Stakes at 3. This was the very same double completed by So You Think and champion sires Sadler’s Wells and Giant’s Causeway
And he has carried his performance into the breeding barn.
His first two Australian crops include exciting Gr.1 winner Manawanui, Gr.1 winning 2yo Banchee and Torio’s Quest, winner of the Gr.2 Queensland Guineas and Listed $1 Million Gold Coast Magic Millions 3yo Guineas.
His impact on Europe has been nothing short of sensational.
He is second on the European table in terms of winners and is currently the leading sire in Italy by prize money for the 2012 season. His offspring have earned over 840,000 euros in Italy. He is more than 250,000 euros ahead of his closest rival on the log.
Oratorio had four stakes winners in Italy during the past year, headed by Cherry Collect. She won Italy’s two classic races for fillies, the (Premio Regina Elena, Oaks D’Italia).
The multiple G1 winner continues to churn out the winners – his son Pearl Mix became his latest stakes winner, when he won the Hyde Stakes over 1600 metres recently.
Watch this space!
