Oratorio by two

The Australian Stud Book will have to do something to alleviate the confusion that will reign over the progeny of the two Oratorios in Australia in the coming years.

Oratorio 1 (pictured), born in 2000, is the Australian-bred son of Stravinsky (by Nureyev (USA)), who is based in Western Australia at Mungrup Stud, south of Perth. The stallion, who is from the top broodmare Express The Smile (by Success Express (USA)), is taking Perth racing by storm – his oldest progeny are three, and this former top-class juvenile galloper is shaping as one of the most exciting young stallions in the country.

Oratorio 2, born in 2002, is the Coolmore (NSW) shuttler, bred in Ireland, by Danehill (USA) from Mahrah (USA), by Vaguely Noble (IRE). His oldest Australian progeny are two.

If both horses were racing, the Irish-bred Oratorio, being the younger and the import, would be required to change his name to something like The Oratorio or My Oratorio.

Changing the name for a stallion isn’t obligatory and doesn’t quite work as well. In harness racing, officials seem to have got it right by requiring that the suffix for all horses imported, including those from New Zealand, become part of the name. So in this case, the Coolmore stallion becomes Oratorio IRE.

(Back in 1860s, Australian had two Tim Whifflers racing. The NSW-trained Tim Whiffler won the 1867 Melbourne Cup, in which the Victorian Tim Whiffler finished fifth. They were generally referred to as Sydney Tim and Melbourne Tim.)

Even so, there still will be confusion for breeders and punters alike over the two Oratorios, and even more so now that the Australian version is shaping as a brilliant young sire with three Stakes winners from his first crop, including the sensational, unbeaten gelding Waratah’s Secret, who will be one of the favourites for the Group 2 Winterbottom Stakes (wfa 1200m, Ascot) on November 28.

Last Saturday, Oratorio’s outstanding filly Clueless Angel won the Group 2 WA Guineas (1600m) at Ascot, adding to her Listed Burgess Queen Stakes win.

Last season, Oratorio sired Gold Rocks, the winner of the Group 2 Karrakatta Plate (1200m, Ascot) and he looks to have another exceptional juvenile filly in Motion Pictures, who is unbeaten in two starts.

Oratorio was a classy juvenile for trainer Lee Freedman and a syndicate of owners, headed by Perth-based breeder Keith Biggs. The handsome colt won the 2003 Listed Tommy Smith Slipper (1200m) at Doomben before winning the 2003 Adelaide Magic Millions (1200m) at Morphettville. At three, he trained on to win the Group 3 CS Hayes Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley.

Biggs said Oratorio has been a revelation. “I am sending four or five of my good Hunter Valley mares back to WA to go to him this season,” he said.

Oratorio is fully booked in 2009 at a fee of $11,000 (inc. GST).

The Irish Oratorio stands at Coolmore for a fee of $22,000 (inc. GST). He was a triple Group 1 winner in England, France and Ireland over distances ranging from 1400m to 2000m, including the Eclipse Stakes (2000m) and Irish Champion Stakes (2000m) at three.

Oratorio’s first Northern Hemisphere crop includes the Group 1 winner Beethoven (Dewhurst Stakes) and the smart Big Audio, a dual Listed winner. He has not had a runner in Australia.

Breeding lines:

Gold Rocks (b f 2006, Oratorio-Alozie, by Luskin Star)

Waratah’s Secret (br g 2006, Oratorio-Blissfully, by Zabeel (NZ))

Clueless Angel (br f 2006, Oratorio-Petite Angel, by Marooned (GB))

Motion Pictures (b or br f 2007, Oratorio-Zabore Loch, by Zabeel (NZ))