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Stallion ProfileWITH five winners of more than $620,000, including Gr.2 winner Gold Rocks,
the Mungrup Stud-based sire Oratorio was one of the success stories among first crop sires last season and he has continued the good work this season with two further stakes winners.
With first crop runners like Waratah’s Secret and Gold Rocks, young WA-based sire Oratorio is off to a brilliant start to his stud career and has given the state’s breeding industry a timely boost. The son of Stravinsky (USA) was a very smart two and three year-old and, as this profile reveals, hails from a family that has had great success in WA.
Oratorio was easily the leading sire of two year-olds and freshman sire in his home state of WA and also fourth on the national first crop list behind Charge Forward, putting him well ahead of many of the high fee and high profile sires from the eastern states. In fact he finished 14th on the national sires of two year-olds list by earnings with his nearest WA-based competitor being veteran Bletchley Park (GB) in 23rd spot with four winners of $429,000.
This season he has been represented by the very good three year-old filly Clueless Angel (ex Petite Angel by Marooned (GB)), winner of six of her 10 starts including the WA Guineas-Gr.2 and Burgess Queen Stakes-LR and the exciting unbeaten colt Waratah’s Secret (ex Blissfully (NZ) by Zabeel) winner of four races, his past two starts resulting in wins in the Listed Belgravia Stakes and Listed Fairetha Stakes in October. To late November he had nine winners and nine placed runners of $1.2m from 31 starters and his stakes winners (three) to starters was a high 9.7%.
Oratorio’s ability to supply precocious youngsters is not surprising, given his own talent at that age - he won three races at two including the SAJC Magic Millions Adelaide 2YO Classic and the BATC Tommy Smith Slipper-LR at Doomben and was runner up in the Blue Diamond Prelude-Gr.3, while his sire is Gr.1-winning sprinter Stravinsky (Nureyev) and his dam Express a Smile is a sister to smart two and three year-old Snapshot, both by Breeders’ Cup Juvenile-Gr.1 winner Success Express (USA) and from Karrakatta Plate-Gr.1 winner Express a Smile (Haulpak-Silver Smile by Silver Knight). Just to make things even more interesting, his fourth dam, the two year-old winner Kinmorin, is a sister to stakeswinning two year-olds Domremon and Longwood, all by Star Kingdom (IRE), one of the best sires to juveniles to stand anywhere.
Purchased by Lee Freedman for $110,000 at the 2003 Gold Coast Magic Millions Yearling Sale, Oratorio was bred by K. Biggs Enterprises in WA and raced for a large syndicate that included his breeder. He had his first start on October 3 of that year finishing third behind Picket Fence in the Debutant Stakes-LR (900m) in Melbourne. Favourite next start in the Listed St Albans Stakes (1000m) at Moonee Valley on October 25, he came from mid-field to beat Find The Cash and Marie Madeleine in 59.34. He started equal favourite with Not a Single Doubt next start on December 11 in the Strawberry Hill Slipper (1000m) at Wyong, finishing second to that horse after attempting to lead all the way, but made no mistake when a $1.50 favourite at Doomben next start on December 27, leading all the way at his first attempt over 1200m to defeat subsequent Gr.1 winner Star Shiraz by two lengths in the Tommy Smith Slipper-LR in 1:11.02.
He was fourth behind Dance Hero in the Magic Millions Classic-RL at the Gold Coast on January 10 and taken back to Melbourne was a half-length second to all the way leader Way West in the Blue Diamond Prelude-Gr.3 (1100m) at Caulfield on February 7. Chasing further riches, Oratorio headed to South Australia for the Adelaide Magic Millions (1200m) at Morphettville and took home the $228,000 first prize, beating Marie Madeleine by 2.4 lengths and with Tippitaka a further half-length astern in third and Barely a Moment fourth and running 1:09.63. It was a grand finale to a profitable and busy juvenile season.
Oratorio resumed on August 28, 2004 with a half-length third to Tahni Girl in the MRC H.D.F. McNeil Stakes (1100m) at Caulfield and then beat Kingify and World Peace in the C.S. Hayes Stakes-Gr.3 (1200m) at Moonee Valley on September 11 as the $3.60 favourite, running 1:14.84 on a heavy track. He was retired after finishing mid-field at his next two starts at Caulfield and Flemington, bowing out with a sixth behind Fastnet Rock in the Rory’s Jester Stakes-Gr.3 and earnings of $511,550 from four wins and four placings in 11 starts.
Retired in 2005 to Gray and Jan Williamson’s 1214ha (3000 acres) Mungrup Stud at Narrikup, between Albany and Mt Baker in WA, (also home in 2009 to Danehill Express, Due Sasso and McFlirt), Oratorio covered 86 mares in his first season (fee $6050), 104 mares in 2006, 90 in 2007 and 115 in 2008 and had a full book in 2009 at a fee of $11,000.
Stravinsky (USA) (Nureyev-Fire the Groom by Blushing Groom)
Oratorio’s sire Stravinsky, a $US625,000 yearling buy, was a very smart two year-old for Aidan O’Brien, winning the Moorestyle Convivial Maiden (6f) at York by two lengths on debut, a race usually won by a good horse, finishing a half-length second past the post to Aljabr in the Prix de la Salamandre-Gr.1 after coming from well back in the field (but was subsequently disqualified and placed last for racing greenly and causing interference to runners) and also placing third in the Dewhurst Stakes-Gr.1. He was awarded a Timeform of 120 and was described as a “strong, well-made, attractive colt”.
The following season Stravinsky (Nureyev-Fire the Groom by Blushing Groom) defeated Europe’s best sprinters in winning the July Cup-Gr.1 (6f) at Newmarket and Nunthorpe Stakes-Gr.1 (5f) at York to earn an annual Timeform of 133. He retired to stud in the US and in NZ in 2000 but was subsequently sold to Japan, completing his first season there in 2006. He stood in Australia in 2007 because of the equine influenza outbreak and was covering at his regular NZ base of Cambridge Stud in 2009 on a fee of $NZ35,000 plus GST.
With 786 starters worldwide to late November, Stravinsky had 539 winners (68.6%) of $60.9m, 59 of them stakes winners (7.5%) and a further 50 stakes placed. His seven Gr.1 winners are led by Champion Australian Three Year Old Filly Serenade Rose (dam by Sadler’s Wells), whose eight wins for $1.7m include the VRC Oaks; Keeninsky (Jade Hunter), Champion NZ Two Year Old and winner of the Manawatu Sires’ Produce and now standing at The Oaks Stud, Cambridge NZ; Balmont (Seattle Slew), winner of the Middle Park Stakes; Benbaun (Salse) 13 wins including the Prix de l’Abbaye, Soldier’s Tale (Batshoof), eight wins including the Royal Ascot Golden Jubilee Stakes and now at Swettenham Stud in Victoria, Mr Baritone (Sanglamore), eight wins and $1.1m including the Stradbroke Handicap and Captivaye (Kaapstad), winner of the NZ Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes.
His other stakes winners include Gr.2 winners out of daughters of Kings Island, Centaine, Hansel, Comet Shine, Zabeel (giving a double of Nureyev via a son and daughter), Dance Floor, Sir Tristram, Alydar, Capote, St Jovite and Indian Ridge. Although it’s early days yet, Stravinsky’s daughters have already produced 26 winners, led by the outstanding performer Rip Van Winkle (Galileo) winner of the Sussex Stakes-Gr.1 and Queen Elizabeth II Stakes-Gr.1, both 8f.
Breeders considering sending mares to Oratorio should consider his sire’s remarkable success with mares by Sadler’s Wells (a three-quarter brother to his sire Nureyev) and his sons. Serenade Rose is out of a mare by Sadler’s Wells (Northern Dancer 3mx3m and Special 3mx4f plus Native Dancer 5f,5fx5f), Soldier’s Tale has Northern Dancer 3mx4m and Special 3mx5f) while Rip van Winkle is bred on the reverse cross being by a son of Sadler’s Wells and from a daughter of Stravinsky (Northern Dancer 3mx4m,5m and Special 4fx4m plus Mr. Prospector 4mx5f).
Stravinsky’s dam Fire The Groom (Blushing Groom-Prospector’s Fire by Mr. Prospector) was a Gr.1 winner of eight races up to 1900m in Europe and the US and her six winners also include the stakes winner and Gr.1-placed Moscow Ballet (IRE) (Sadler’s Wells), who stands at Ampulla Lodge in Victoria. Fire the Groom is also a half-sister to the Vernon’s Sprint Cup-Gr.1 winner and sire Dowsing (Riverman), another horse from the Nasrullah male line. Third dam Native Street (Native Dancer) was a Gr.1 winner in the US, winning 10 races from 1100m to 1700m, and she left 10 winners including two Group winners by Vaguely Noble in Royal and Regal (Florida Derby-Gr.1) and Regal and Royal as well as the dam of Australian stakes winner Alquoz and Seeker’s Gold. This is also the family of Verglas (FR) (Highest Honor), a horse who shuttled to WA and has daughters at stud there. The Verglas mares could prove ideal mates for Oratorio.
Stravinsky’s sire Nureyev (Northern Dancer-Special by Forli), a Champion Sire in France, left 136 stakes winners including Theatrical, Spinning World, Peintre Celebre, Soviet Star, Polar Falcon (all sires) and outstanding fillies such as Miesque, Sonic Lady and Reams of Verse. His daughters have produced more than 150 stakes winners including Bago (Nashwan), Kingmambo (Mr. Prospector), Desert King (Danehill), Zabeel (Sir Tristram) and Rebecca Sharp (Machiavellian). Stravinsky’s five generation pedigree carries Nearco (4mx5m) and his son Nasrullah (5mx4m) and Native Dancer (4fx5m,4f), while Nureyev has Hyperion 4fx4m.
Oratorio’s unraced dam Express a Smile was bred in 1995 by the Holmes a’ Court family’s Heytesbury Thoroughbreds in WA from a mating of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile-Gr.1 winner Success Express (USA) (Hold Your Peace-Au Printemps by Dancing Champ), one of two winners of this major US race for two year-old that the family patriarch, South African-born businessman Robert Holmes a’ Court, who died in 1990, imported to Australia, the other being Is It True (USA), a horse eventually sold back to the US where he enjoyed some success after a modest career in WA. Success Express on the other hand had a very good career despite a number of shifts in location and among his winners of almost $34m were the Golden Slipper heroine Polar Success, the Vinery-based sire and Gr.1 winner Mossman, the Rangeview Stud sire Key Business and NZ-based sire Al Akbar. His daughters are proving exceptional producers with their offspring including Savabeel, Wonderful World, Gold Edition, Excites, Duporth and Cheval de Troy.
Express a Smile has continued the good work too with six winners from nine foals including Gr.2 winner Lady Dehere (Dehere), four wins 880m-1200m and $290,000 in NZ where she produced the Zabeel colt Oracy (a Gr.2 winner in South Africa) and Stravinsky Listed winner The Lady. Express a Smile is also dam of Listed-winning two year-old Discorsi (Galileo), also trained by Lee Freedman, while a daughter by Zabeel, Dubai Express, is dam of stakes placed Rockadubai (Fastnet Rock).
Oratorio’s dam, Hold That Smile, was also bred by Robert Holmes a’ Court and is by the very fast Haulpak (Dignitas (USA)-Winged Beauty by {Port Vista (IRE)) and she won the WATC Karrakatta Plate-Gr.1, the state’s premier race for two year-olds for him, along with the Queen’s Plate-Gr.3 and Gimcrack Stakes-LR but produced just three winners from her eight named foals. One of them was Snapshots, also by Success Express, and she won the AJC Keith Mackay Handicap-LR and was runner-up in the Silver Shadow Stakes-Gr.2 and is the dam of winners.
Oratorio’s third dam Silver Smile is another bred by Robert Holmes a’ Court and she is by his Melbourne Cup winner Silver Knight (NZ) (Alcimedes (GB)-Cuban Fox by Foxbridge (GB)). Hold That Smile’s brother Carry a Smile was also an above average racehorse, winning 12 races including the WATC Lee-Steere Stakes-Gr.2, Winterbottom Stakes-Gr.2 and Prince of Wales Stakes-Gr.3. He left seven stakes winners including WATC Western Australia Derby-Gr.1 winner Capricious Lass and Gr.3 winner Daring Smile.
Oratorio’s fourth dam Kinmorin, a winner of two races at 1000m at two, is by Star Kingdom (IRE) and from Morin (GB) by Vilmorin, two horses imported into Australia by Stanley Wootton and based at Alf Ellison’s Baramul Stud in the Widden Valley (these days owned by Gerry Harvey). Morin was a very fast mare with three wins at 5f at Epsom in England where Wootton was based. She was also stakes placed when runner-up in the Acorn Stakes-LR there and was third in the Stewards’ Cup on the track. Ten of her 13 live foals won and included smart juveniles Domremon and Longwood (both also by Star Kingdom) and Lomond, by that horse’s son Todman, the first Golden Slipper winner.
Her dam Irish Candy (Ballyogan), a half-sister to Irish Derby-Gr.1 winner Fraise du Bois (Bois Roussel), produced six winners and her descendants include good UK-based sire Indian Ridge (Ahonoora) and Gr.1 winner Red Bishop (Silver Hawk). Other Good winners from this family in Australia include Gr.1 winner Sword and Gr.2 winner Belong to Many. Kinmorin produced three winners from just five foals, but one of her daughters, Maid Morin (Silver Knight) produced Kalgarin Town (Sydney Beau) whose 12 wins included the Listed Doveton Handicap. Silver Smile, born in 1976, was Kinmorin’s last foal (and one of just two fillies from the mare) as she slipped or missed in seven consecutive seasons after her birth.
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