Biggs backs Oratorio

Kalgoorlie mining investor and heavyweight thoroughbred owner and breeder Keith Biggs made his money – plenty of it – by picking the eyes out of the stock market.

Biggs cashed in when the mining company Poseidon found copious quantities of nickel on his land in 1969, and the subsequent stock market rush saw Poseidon’s share peak at close to $300 before it crashed in early 1970.

He has been playing the stock market and the horse racing and breeding game quite successfully since. Biggs, a former butcher from Leonora in central Western Australia, has owned or part-owned more cup winners than he can remember – from Oradale, who won a bush cup at Laverton (WA) in 1958, to Doriemus’ famous Caulfield Cup-Melbourne Cup double in 1995.

Biggs usually gets it right when it comes to matters mining, racing and making money. But he let the stallion Oratorio (pictured) slip through his fingers; for a man used to winning, it has been tough for him to admit to a mistake – and he has been kicking himself ever since.

Biggs bred the smart son of Stravinsky and raced him in partnership with good mate, WA meat exported Rod Russell, trainer Lee Freedman and a group that included a family of taxi licence holders from Sydney.

Oratorio, a stylish little colt from Biggs’ good mare Express A Smile (by Success Express (USA)) was a highly-talented juvenile, winning the 2004 Adelaide Magic Millions, before training on to win the 2004 Group 3 C S Hayes Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley at three.

The colt was retired after injuring himself in the spring of his 3YO year.

Oratorio was sold to stand at Gray and Jan Williamson’s Mungrup Stud, at Narrikup, between Albany and Mt. Barker in south-east Western Australia. None of the original owners kept a share in the stallion.

Oratorio covered 86 mares in his first season at a fee of $6050 (inc. GST) – since then he has become something of a phenomenon, as his sons and daughters haven’t stopped winning. Last season he served a full book (142 mares) at $11,000 and there is talk his fee will nearly treble in 2010.

The young sire is hot property in the west. Don’t confuse him with the Coolmore-based Oratorio (IRE) (by Danehill (USA), whose Australian first crop are 2YOs.

Last Saturday, Oratorio’s exciting filly Motion Pictures won the $500,000 Group 2 Karrakatta Plate (1200m) at Ascot – WA’s version of the Golden Slipper – to give the stallion his second success in the race after Gold Rocks won it in 2009. Oratorio also is the sire of the Group 2 WA Guineas winner Clueless Angel and the exceptionally talented dual Listed winner Waratah’s Secret.

Motion Pictures also is a product of Biggs’ breeding venture. He bred her dam, Zabore Loch, a daughter of Marooned (GB) and Biggs’ frustrating Zabori (b m 1992, Zabeel (NZ)-Glorify, by Boucher (USA)).

I was working as racing manager for Lee Freedman when I met Biggs, and Zabori was one of the first horses he sent to Freedman to train in 1994, around the same time Doriemus entered the stable. The filly had enormous talent; she could run sizzling sectional times, but Freedman couldn’t get the headstrong runner into the barrier stalls.

All the best horsemen Freedman could muster had a go at educating the filly, but to no avail. Biggs ordered her back to Perth where he gave her to renowned educator Rod Bynder to train. Early reports were encouraging, but Zabori broke down before Bynder to weave his magic. (Bynder transformed another rogue filly, Belle Bizarre, into a star, who won the G1 Railway Stakes at Ascot in 2006. Bynder died of a heart attack in 2008 while educating a horse at the track).

Zabore Loch was Zabori’s first foal. This is a wonderful Australian family, tracing back to Zabori’s third dam, Better Half (Better Boy-Salma), a sister to the star gallopers Pterylaw (1966 Doomben 10,000) and Tolerance (1971 Blue Diamond Stakes).

Oratorio comes from another great Australian family. His fourth dam Kinmorin, bred by Stanley Wootton, is by the great Star Kingdom from the imported mare Morin (by Vilmorin (GB)), making her a sister to the brilliant juveniles Longwood (1964 Merson Cooper Stakes) and Domremon (1966 Debutante Stakes).

Biggs is not one to wallow in what might have been. This year, he will be supporting Oratorio with some nice mares. “I have decided to bring back some of my mares in the Hunter Valley to WA, and some will be going to Oratorio. I don’t own him anymore, but I did breed him and I think he’s a sensational sire,” he said.

Some of those Hunter Valley mares will visit Oratorio’s half-brother, the juvenile Stakes-winner Discorsi (by Galileo (IRE)), who has been retired and will stand in WA after an injury-plagued career.

“Discorsi is a magnificent looking horse, who was a Galileo with the speed to win a Stakes race at two,” Biggs said. “We will make an announcement shortly about where he will stand, but I think he will do very well in WA.”

The horse might have bolted with Oratorio, but Biggs is banking on his usual good judgement with Discorsi.