ORATORIO : YOUNG SIRE SENSATION

Oratorio
(Photo: Mungrup Stud)

TRIBUTE TO WAY WEST

The exploits of the emerging Australian sire, Oratorio, have captured the attentions of Australian racegoers to the degree that their premier racing monthly, Bluebloods, has devoted three A5 pages to him in their January 2010 issue.

The article kicks off “with the winners of more than $620 000 (just short of R4 million) including Gr.2 winner, Gold Rocks, the Mungrup Stud-based Oratorio was one of the success stories among first crop sires last season, and he’s continued the work this season, with two further Stakes winners”.

“Oratorio was easily the leading sire of Two-Year-Olds as well as the top Freshman sire in his home state of West Australia, and was also fourth on the national first crop list behind Charge Forward, putting him well ahead of the many high fee and high profile sires from the eastern states” (Editor: this is no mean achievement, given that he’s West Australian-based, where stakes are substantially lower, and his local competition includes the much-heralded Bletchley Park, one of the nation’s tried- and-tested juvenile stallions).

This season, his first crop, (now three), includes the good three-year-old filly Clueless Angel, winner of six of her ten starts including the West Australian Guineas and the Burgess Queen Stakes, and the exciting colt, Waratah’s Secret, unbeaten in his first four, including two Stakes events.

This is an auspicious beginning for the place-getters in what looked like a vintage renewal of one of Australia’s great “stallion makers”, the Blue Diamond Prelude (Gr.3,) where Way West proved too good for his quality competition.

Those that’ve visited Way West’s spectacular effort in this event on our website video (www.summerhill.co.za) will recall that it was a “gear from God” on the home bend that kicked him away from his field, following a mid-race stumble which might’ve ruined the prospects of a lesser mortal. Way West’s time in the race beat that of one of the great fillies of modern Australian history, Alinghi, Oratorio flew from behind to get within half length of Way West at the post, and when the timekeepers glanced at their clocks as the horses pulled up, they noted the shattering of the Stakes record.

Also known as the “Demolition Man” to his fans, Way West was tagged a stallion prospect in the making in the aftermath of the Prelude by no less an authority than Peter Keating. With the Blue Diamond (Gr.1) and the world’s richest juvenile event, the Golden Slipper (Gr.1) now in his sights, Way West’s form had Champion trainer, David Hayes contemplating a return from Hong Kong to assist with his mission, but it was not to be. We all know now that a career-crippling foot injury put an end to what would’ve made the son of Danehill a magnet to every Australian stud worth its salt.

As it happens, we can only conjecture at how good he could’ve been, given the chance, but in the end, it may be a blessing for South African breeders. He wouldn’t have been in this country if he’d fulfilled the expectations of his connections, and we must wait now for his first runners to make their debuts before the jury delivers. We’d have to say we fancy his chances a bit, knowing what we saw at the Emperors Palace Ready To Run.

Let’s see what happens at post time.

ONWARDS AND UPWARDS

Left to Right : Solskjaer, Stronghold, Way West
(Photos : Summerhill Stud)

(Please click photos to enlarge… )

SOLSKJAER, STRONGHOLD AND WAY WEST

Racing fans with long serving memories, will recall the announcement of an era in European breeding was previously unheralded. The first crop of Sadler’s Wells (who went on to take an unprecedented 14 champion sires titles) were just two year olds, and in the best juvenile race on the calendar, the Dewhurst Stakes (Gr.1), Scenic (who went on to a triumphant career at stud) and Prince Of Birds, dead heated for the spoils. No first crop sire had ever been represented by the first two past the post in the Dewhurst (by any sire, to our knowledge) and it took another eighteen seasons before it happened again on Saturday.

This time it was the four-time group winning son of Danehill (yes, Danehill again) Oratorio, who supplied the goods, as his appropriately named son, Beethoven grabbed the cash from his paternal half brother, Fencing Master, to mark the beginning of a new history.

Could this be a portent of a second “coming” of Sadler’s Wells, and while many may consider that a rhetoric question (could there ever be another stallion of Sadler’s Wells class?), there is nothing to suggest that it can’t.

At Summerhill, we’ve long lamented the fact that this country appears, at large, to have missed the Danehill boat, given that in Australasia at least, Danehill is the greatest sire phenomenon in history, and is already represented by three individual champion sire sons, while only last weekend in Europe, with Group One winners on both sides of the Atlantic, Rock Of Gibraltar reminded us that Danehill Dancer is not the only Danehill son with aspirations of championships in the northern hemisphere.

Fortunately, Summerhill saw the train coming, and we’re home to the three best performed sons of Danehill on the African continent, two of whom, Solskjaer and Way West, are represented by their first crop at the sales this year. Ready To Run watchers at last Friday’s gallops, were stunned by the performances of the Way Wests (you’d have expected them to be forward, being the issue of one of the most explosive juveniles of his year in Australia), while we all know that the Solskjaers brought the house down at the Nationals, not only with the sales-topping filly, but in the people that pursued them. Ormond Ferraris, Charles Laird, Mike Bass, Mike de Kock, Herman Brown Jnr and Team Valor’s Barry Irwin, made up the admirers. It seems that at the auction at least, they’ve already caught the imaginations of the local racing public.

That’s not the end, though, because the outcome of England’s Champion Stakes (Gr.1) on the weekend, produced another boost for our third son of Danehill, Stronghold, when Twice Over went one better than his effort last year in grabbing the main prize. While he’s not a son of Danehill himself, he happens to belong to the same family as Stronghold. When we speak of this man, we need to remind ourselves that the best rating agency in the world, Timeform, rated Stronghold the best handicapper in Europe in 2006. Yes, the very best in Europe.

WAY WEST... TAKE THIS AS AN EARLY WARNING SIGN

Way West
(Photo : Summerhill Stud)

Please click photo to enlarge… 

“WAYWARD IS NOT NECESSARILY WESTWARD”

There is a connotation of waywardness in the name of Way West, but if the early signs are anything to be relied apon, right here is where the action is taking place. This morning’s management meeting revealed, straight from the horse’s mouth, the early brilliance of the first crop of Way West, and it seems there might be something of their father in the early showings of his progeny.

Way West is remembered principally for his outrageous precocity as a juvenile, and the fact that, much like Maradonna and his finger from God, Way West found the proverbial gear from heaven in the closing stages of the Blue Diamond Prelude (Gr.3), where he inflicted a solid beating on two of Australia’s best juveniles, in what has become one of Australia’s leading “stallion-maker” events.

Behind him that day was third leading Australian freshman sire of 2009, Oratorio, as well as the Group One performer Sanziro, and we can only wonder what Way West might’ve achieved were it not for a hoof-splitting injury suffered as one of the leading fancies for that year’s Blue Diamond Stakes (Gr.1). His life may well have been one of unfulfilled prophecies, remembering that David Hayes very nearly gave up his celebrated career in Hong Kong to return to his native country, for the specific purpose of training Way West for his engagement in the world’s richest juvenile contest, the Golden Slipper (Gr.1).

In his presence at Summerhill, we’re reminded that all three of Danehill’s champion sire sons in the southern hemisphere carry the “Blue Diamond” ticket: Redoute’s Choice, Flying Spur and Danzero. The pattern of breeding represented in the make-up of last year’s Australian champion sire, Flying Spur (Danehill out of a Mr. Prospector mare) is a virtual copybook recall of the potency of Way West’s pedigree. A son of Danehill, the most successful sire of sires in Australian history, out of a daughter of the self-same Mr. Prospector.

We’ll be tracking the Way Wests as we get closer to the Ready To Run, but meanwhile, take this as an early warning sign. There are 17 engaged in the 2009 version itself, and who could guess at how many of them will make the cut for next year’s R1,5million renewal of the Emperors Palace Ready To Run Cup?

Galileo Gala at Goffs

Galileo (virtualformguide)Galileo (Ire) was a champion on the racetrack and is now one of Europe’s best young sires, can do no wrong, and Coolmore’s heir apparent to Sadler’s Wells was firmly in the spotlight again during yesterday’s final foal session of the Goffs November Sale. Hip 1248, a half-brother to the 2005 G3 Gallinule S. winner Im Spartacus (GB), created waves when selling to Kennycourt Stud for EUR 280,000 late in the day.

El Gran Senor (biglobe)From the high-class family of El Gran Senor and Try My Best, the April-foaled colt from the draft of the Irish National Stud was the apple of Eugene McDermott’s eye, and the owner of the County Kildare operation was not to be denied. Galileo also provided the joint top-priced filly of the sale when M.V. Magnier paid EUR 240,000 for River Downs Stud’s hip 1154, a half-sister to the group-placed duo of Rabi (Ire) and Kawagino (Ire). “She’s a lovely filly,” Magnier said of the granddaughter of the 1983 G1 Prix Vermeille winner Sharaya. “She’s a really athletic, good-walking sort from a good pedigree and by an exceptional sire. She’ll be kept to race.”

Montjeu (geocites)Another Coolmore heavyweight, Montjeu (Ire), was responsible for the other star filly when Felipe Hinojosa’s Spanish operation Yeguada de Milagro matched that sum for hip 1227, a daughter of the 2005 G3 Prix Fille de l’Air heroine Antioquia (GB). She is a descendant of the excellent producer Riverqueen (Fr). Galileo’s dominance of the session was completed by BBA Ireland’s purchase of Barnane Stud’s hip 1190, a half-sister to the multiple group winner Tropical Lady (Ire) for EUR 190,000; and Paul Shanahan paying EUR 175,000 for Milltown House Stud’s colt consigned as hip 1064 . Of the former, BBA Ireland’s Eamon Reilly said, “I’ve bought her on behalf of a client to race and then breed from; she will not be coming up for resale. She’s a very good looking filly by a top sire and there was a lot to like about her. The half-sister was a very high-class filly.”

Oratorio (coolmore)Hip 1064’s granddam is the 1986 G2 Criterium de Maisons-Laffitte winner Grecian Urn (Ire), who also produced the Group 1-placed Dark Shell (Ire). The first crop by Oratorio (Ire) (Danehill) was born this year, and Timmy Hyde was a fan of Coolnahay Stud’s hip 1129 , a colt from the immediate family of a trio of smart Italian stakes performers. “He is a really good foal, probably as good a one as you’ll see all week,” Hyde said of his EUR 180,000 purchase. “He’s by an exceptionally tough and wonderful racehorse. We all know what Oratorio did, and he’s getting good-looking stock.”

Henry Beeby (goffsireland)Goffs Chief Executive Henry Beeby said, “Over the last five days we have experienced every emotion possible in bloodstock terms, with some excellent highs and a few lows. Among the highs was the huge demand for commercial foals. The start of the week witnessed the reality of the lower end of the yearling market materialise, and many have felt the effects of overproduction hit home this week.”

GOFFS NOVEMBER FOALS

TOP 4 LOTS

Hip     Sex     Sire                Dam                         Price( EUR)

1248     c     Galileo (Ire)   Captivating (Ire)     280,000

1154     f      Galileo (Ire)   Sharakawa (Ire)      240,000

1227    f      Montjeu (Ire) Antioquia (GB)        240,000

1190    f      Galileo (Ire)    Tropical Lake (Ire) 190,000

By some extraordinary stroke of good fortune our enterprising clients Dr Barry Clements, Rodney Thorpe and Roger Zeeman, brought home a weanling son of Galileo from Australia in July. He goes before the judges on Wednesday as a National Sales entry and he’ll save you the journey to Sydney come April next year, when he’ll be one of the star attractions in the Summerhill draft. Galileo was the rising star in the Coolmore stallion firmament and was tipped with Montjeu as the successor to his astonishingly successful sire, Sadler’s Wells.

Click here to watch Galileo and Fantastic Light fighting it out in the 2001 King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Diamond stakes.

Extract from TDN 23/11/07

New Season Sires Feature in EBN

We’ve been very fortunate in the past few weeks to receive some excellent coverage in The European Bloodstock News. Last week HOBB ALWAHTAN featured; this week it was WAY WEST’s turn.

ANOTHER COUP FOR SUMMERHILL STUD (EBN 15 September 2006 p.4)

Champion breeders Summerhill Stud will be home to an impressive band of stallions this season and a new addition to the roster will be Hobb Alwahtan, a threeparts brother to none other than Sheikh Mohammed’s
all-time favourite, the magnificent Dubai Millenium. A winner of six races from a mile to a mile and a half, Hobb Alwahtan rattled off four big victories in Dubai in a single season, all by an average of four lengths. Regally bred, he is a son of champion Machiavellian – now a successful sire of sires with the likes of Medicean, Vettori and Kahal – and hails from one of the most potent modern families, that of the blue hen mare Fall Aspen. Hobb Alwahtan is out of her daughter Colorado Dancer, a dual French Group winner by Irish Derby hero Shareef Dancer. Colorado Dancer is one of no less than nine Group winners produced by Fall Aspen, and counts as her three-parts brother South African champion sire Fort Wood (Sadler’s Wells) and Gr.1 sire Timber Country (Woodman). With these impeccable credentials, there are obviously high expectations of this handsome chesnut, who will stand for a fee of R15,000.

STALLION SHOWCASE (EBN 22 September 2006 p. 8)

We continue our series of profiles on new horses at stud and this week the spotlight falls on Way West, an Australian-bred son of the great Danehill. Rated one of the leading juveniles of 2003, Way West won twice at two, his most notable victory being the Gr.3 Blue Diamond Prelude, where he beat the smart Oratorio and Sanzero. In  the prestigious Gr.1 Blue Diamond, he finished a creditable fifth after a troubled run during which he hit the running rail and sustained a foot injury which plagued him throughout the balance of his racing career. Way West is out of the placed Mr Prospector mare Prospect Fever. His grandam Annoconnor was an outstanding racemare, winning three Gr.1 races in California during the 1980s. She is a Nureyev half-sister to Gr.1 Melbourne Cup winner and successful Australian sire At Talaq (Roberto). This is also the family of successful New Zealand stallion One Pound Sterling. Part-owned by Arrowfield Stud, he is the famous Australian stud’s first stallion venture in South Africa. Way West commences stud duties at Summerhill Stud in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands at a fee of R16,000 live foal.