Girl Power! Oratorio’s smart daughter Viztoria wins at Doncaster
The champagne corks were popping at Avontuur Stud near Somerset West this weekend after news filtered through that their worldbeating stallion Oratorio, had registered yet another two international stakes winners.
Oratorio’s extraordinary international roadshow of stakes winners has been a talking point, often bordering on disbelief, amongst racing experts countrywide throughout this year.
The son of Danehill notched up another two gold stars on a report card that has breeders cross the globe clamouring for a slice of the action.
His daughter Viztoria took on the boys and walloped them after she returned from an 85-day absence to lift the Group Two Park Stakes at Doncaster on Saturday.
Her thrilled trainer Eddie Lynam feels the best is yet to come from Viztoria.
Wayne Lordan rode the only filly in the race.
She tracked the leading duo of Gregorian and Lockwood coming into the final 400m and kicked on inside the final 200m to win in comfortable fashion
Lynam confirmed the three-year-old filly, who last ran in the Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot, will take on older horses again when she goes for Group One glory over seven furlongs in the Prix de la Foret at Longchamp next month.
“We’ve had to patient with her, we hadn’t run her for a long time and the owners backed me. She needed a bit of give in the ground and we got it (on Saturday). She’s very professional and did it very well,” Lynam told At The Races.
“I wouldn’t rule out going back to six and I wouldn’t rule going up to a mile. She was very good and we will run her in the Foret. That will be her next race.
“She’s won a Group Three, she’s won a Group Two. Obviously you try to go up and better your horses. I think she’s entitled to go for a Group One. She ran to a high rating on Saturday and you’d imagine she’d improve.
“I hope she will be around for longer but I haven’t thought about next year. I’ve just been looking at the next race and that was a long-time coming.
“Hopefully we will have her next year. She’s a very talented filly and if you get a typically Irish/English weather year we could be very lucky with her.”
Oratorio also sired another stakes winner on Sunday.
High Duty (GB), a 2yo colt out of Heart of Ice (Montjeu) won the Grosser Preis von Engel & Volkers Dusseldorf, in Germany, in impressive style.
He also sired 2yo debut winner Obliterator, who won at the Curragh.
Avontuur GM Pippa Mickleburgh echoed the vibrant mood on the beautiful farm, which was in one of its busiest phases with a nursery full of gorgeous foals.
“People will know that I am not often at a loss for words. But what does one say about this magnificent stallion’s amazing international stakes winners? There are just no adjectives left in my vocabulary and the hits just keep on coming! We are so busy at the moment, but this news just lifts the whole team’s spirits to new heights. We are in for an amazing ride with Oratorio,” she said.
