“Alert is built for speed and raced accordingly, winning from 800m-1000m and he is a Gr.1 winner at two. By the same sire as proven success More Than Ready (USA), he offers breeders the chance to access the same sire line at a fraction of the price and his first crop yearlings sold to $100,000 in 2010.

WHEN Todman won the first Golden Slipper way back in 1957 he set the Australian breeding industry on a new course, one where speed, particularly early two year-old speed, was of the essence. Breeders and racegoers were captivated by this new race, and its growing importance in the racing year also signalled its impact on the breeding industry and the type of stallion who found favour at stud.

One modern stallion who encapsulates this need for speed is the handsome grey import Alert (ARG) who stands at Stuart Lamont’s Kooringal Stud at Wagga Wagga where he will cover his fourth book in 2010 at $8800 after books of 82, 84 and 84 in the past three seasons. His first yearlings have been well received at auctions this year including his two fillies at the Gold Coast Magic Millions in January fetching $100,000 (ex Granny Apple by Bluebird) and $40,000 (ex Octamistic by Octagonal).

Built for speed, this muscular sprinter came to hand early in his juvenile season, winning his first two starts over 800m at Palermo and then capped his season by winning a Gr.1 over 1000m at Argentina’s equivalent of the Breeders’ Cup meeting. However Alert has more than speed to recommend him as he is a son of Southern Halo, a horse well known in Australia as the sire of More Than Ready (USA), a Gr.1-winning sprinter in the USA and now an outstanding sire here where his progeny include the Golden Slipper winners Sebring (now at Widden Stud) and Phelan Ready.

Alert’s racing career produced five wins (800m-1000m) and saw him twice runner-up in 15 starts in Argentina where his major victory came in the G.P. Estrellas Juniors Sprint-Gr.1 (1000m) on June 25, 2005 at San Isidro. Alert won by a half-length from the filly Campi di Roma in 55.20 on the country’s major race day, with the third-placed Scooby three-quarters of a length back and the fourth horse La Leocida a further 3.5 lengths back. It isn’t hard to see how Alert could win so easily as he displayed enormous speed in his first two starts, winning these early juvenile events over 800m at Palermo before being sent for a break and then running a close fourth in a Gr.2 event over 1000m at the same track at his first run back (third-placed Sebastiano won a Gr.1 at his next start).

His three runs before his Gr.1 victory also signalled his class with a second in the Clasico Islas Malvinas-LR (1000m) at San Isidro to Vedette Roma, a win in the Clasico Hipodromo Argentino-Gr.3 (1000m) at Palermo and a second in the Clasico Velocidad-Gr.2 (to Scooby) at San Isidro. Alert had just three starts at three with his best run being a fourth in the Clasico Cyllene-Gr.2 (1000m) at San Isidro and he returned to winning form at four, running under 55 seconds when collecting the Handicap Sandal (1000m) at San Isidro from Vedette Roma.

Although he stood in Argentina and shuttled for a time to Kentucky (and one season in Japan), Southern Halo, who died in November 2009 aged 26, looks set to play an increasingly important role in the breeding industries of Australia and New Zealand.

The continuing success of his American-bred son More Than Ready – particularly his success as a cross with the dominant Danehill line – has prompted breeders in both countries to import sons of Southern Halo and to clamour to secure the best son More Than Ready. It is quite ironic really as breeders initially were very slow to embrace the Halo line, the perception being that most members were slow maturing types and generally suited over middle distance – hardly fitting the “go early, run fast” mentality that dominates our racing scene. More Than Ready’s success, particularly as a sire of juveniles, has changed all that.

Halo (Hail to Reason-Cosmah by Cosmic Bomb) won his only Gr.1 as an older horse and was at his best between 1600m-2400m. His outstanding son Sunday Silence was a Kentucky Derby winner who went on to dominate Japanese breeding in much the same way that Southern Halo was the dominant force in South America for so many years. However there are other strings to Halo’s bow and this twice Champion US Sire, whose dam is a half-sister to Natalma (dam of Northern Dancer and third dam of Danehill), had other influential sons as well. Devil’s Bag (ex Ballade by Herbager), a brilliant juvenile, and his Gr.2-winning brother Saint Ballado (a Champion Sire in the US) were stalwarts of the line in the US, but their blood has been virtually ignored here, although St Averil (Saint Ballado-Avie’s Fancy by Lord Avie), a Gr.2 winner and Gr.1 placed at two, shuttles to Goodwood Park in Queensland and deceased Hideyoshi (Devil’s Bag-Fanfreluche by Northern Dancer) met with limited success in WA.

Alert

The sons of Halo who came south included Don’t Say Halo (USA) (ex Never Babble by Advocator) a success initially in SA (getting Blue Diamond winner and sire Canonise there) and then in NSW and finally WA, while Ron Bon (ex Confirm by Proudest Roman) had some impact in WA and NZ-based Oregon (ex Three Troikas by Lyphard) left winners up to Gr.1 level. Irgun (USA) (a Gr.1-winning son of Halo’s other Kentucky Derby winner Sunny’s Halo and from Late From Lunch by Secretariat, shuttled to Queensland from 1998-2002 leaving about 250 foals, the best being Gr.3 winner Brief Embrace, while Widden has lately mined a different branch of the Halo line with Southern Image (USA) (Halo’s Image-Pleasant Dixie by Dixieland Band), a triple Gr.1 winner whose first southern season was in 2006.

The sons of Sunday Silence (ex Wishing Well by Understanding) who came here met with some success but were generally disappointing – the likes of Fuji Kiseki, Bubble Gum Fellow, Genuine and Tayasu Tyusoshi in Australia and Painted Black in NZ leaving stakes winners but no worthwhile sons to carry on that branch of the line, while Zenno Rob Roy, a Horse of the Year in Japan covered his first NZ book in 2006 and did a season in Australia in 2007 so perhaps he will have success here. In time their daughters could prove useful foils for the Southern Halo tribe as doubling Halo has already produced quite a few stakes winners. This could also be done using Halo daughters such as Glorious Song (dam of Rahy and Singspiel) or Rowdy Angel (second dam of Fusaichi Pegasus). Alert, with all his speed could provide a potent link for breeders wanting to duplicate Halo, and he should really suit daughters of Fantastic Light (by Rahy and from a mare by Nijinsky).

John Messara’s bold plan to send mares to Japan to be bred southern hemisphere time to Sunday Silence resulted in the outstanding mare Sunday Joy (who produced Gr.1 winner More Joyous to a mating with More Than Ready) and the very fast Keep The Faith, and the latter is just starting his stud career for Swettenham Stud in Victoria and had his first winner mid-January. The continuing success of the Sunday Silence line in Japan opens the door for more members of that tribe to eventually make their way to Australia and NZ, but for the moment Southern Halo has the numbers Down Under.

Southern Halo goes from strength to strength and at the time of his death had sired 57 Gr.1 winners (behind only Danehill on 88 and Sadler’s Wells on 73) among more than 160 stakes winners. His early success in Argentina prompted a reverse shuttle to Coolmore’s Ashford Stud in Kentucky for seven seasons from 1996 (and a brief shuttle to Japan) and his fee reached $US40,000 in 2001. Among the US-bred runners are More Than Ready and the Canadian Champion Two Year Old Colt Edenwold (who stands in NZ).

Foaled in 1983 and inbred 3fx4f to Almahmoud, Southern Halo (Halo-Northern Sea by Northern Dancer) was bred by E.P. Taylor and was a $US600,000 Keeneland July yearling. He raced for Stavros Niarchos and was unplaced in two starts in Ireland and then won five races and had 10 placings in 22 starts in the US for trainer D. Wayne Lucas, earning $US344,000 and was Gr.1 placed when second in the Swaps Stakes and the Supper Derby. His dam won the Test Stakes-Gr.3 and was a Gr.1 runner-up in the Frizette Stakes and Selima Stakes-Gr.1, while his second dam Sea Saga (Sea-Bird-Shama by Bold Ruler) counted the Aqueduct Ladies Handicap-Gr.1 among her wins.

The most successful sire in Argentine history, being Leading Sire there from 1994 to 2000 and then from 2004 and 2008 and the Leading Broodmare Sire since 2004, Southern Halo stood at Haras la Quebrada near Buenos Aires and was put down due to the infirmities of old age in November after being pensioned earlier in 2009. His sons and their descendants who have stood, or are standing, in Australia and New Zealand include More than Ready (USA) (plus sons Benicio, Ready’s Image (USA), Sebring and Perfectly Ready), Dubleo (USA), Alert (ARG), Taimazov (ARG), My Lad (ARG), Halo Homewrecker (USA), Masterpiece (ARG), Star Cross (ARG), Avispon (ARG), De Troy (ARG) Edenwold (USA), Mr Nancho (ARG) (who has sired a Gr.1 winner in his first NZ crop this season), My Halo (ARG) and Thano (ARG).

Stuart Lamont with Alert

Southern Halo’s second dam Sea Saga is a daughter of Sea-Bird, whose sire Dan Cupid is by Native Dancer and Southern Halo’s dam Northern Sea (Northern Dancer) carries a 3fx4m to Native Dancer, along with a 5fx5f of Discovery (sire of the dam of Native Dancer and Bold Ruler) and a 3mx5f of Nearco. All of this could help explain why More Than Ready (ex Woodman’s Girl by Woodman (USA)) and Danehill have nicked so well, three of his six Gr.1 winners are from mares by Danehill (2) and his son Flying Spur (1), the latter’s dam being by Mr. Prospector (a grandson of Native Dancer). More Joyous is from a mare by Sunday Silence (Halo) and her second dam is by Danehill, while Mr. Prospector is also doubled in the pedigree of More Than Ready’s Gr.1 winner Carry on Cutie (via Woodman and Conquistador Cielo), while Phelan Ready’s second dam is by At Talaq (by Roberto and doubling Hail to Reason).

Alert’s pedigree also brings in lines of Native Dancer and Buckpasser as his dam sire Senor Pete (USA) is by a son of Nijinsky (Northern Dancer) out of a mare by Exclusive Native (Raise a Native) and he should respond to similar inbreeding using mares by Danehill, El Moxie (by Conquistador Cielo and from the family of Danehill and Halo), or by using Mr. Prospector sons like Hussonet, Mr Henrysee or Woodman. Alert’s dam Augustina’s Dream, produced four winners including Gr.1 placed Ajedrez and is by the two year-old American Gr.1 winner Senor Pete (Belmont Futurity Stakes), sire of several Gr.1 winners in Argentina and also a successful sire in NZ. Senor Pete is by the French 2000 Guineas-Gr.1 winner Green Dancer (Nijinsky-Green Valley by Val de Loir), also winner of the Prix Lupin-Gr.1 and Doncaster Gold Cup-Gr.1 and also broodmare sire of more than 170 stakes winners, including Melbourne Cup hero Jeune (GB) and classic winner Quest for Fame (GB).

Senor Pete’s dam She Won’t Tell, by Exclusive Native (Raise a Native), is a sister to the champion Affirmed, 1978 and 1979 US Horse of the Year whose 22 wins included the Kentucky Derby-Gr.1. Senor Pete is also broodmare sire of Southern Halo’s Argentine Champion Two Year Old Filly of 2007 Batallosa (whose second dam is by Logical). His daughters have left 130 winners (63% of runners), 15SW (4 Gr.1). Also among Southern Halo’s Gr.1 winners are La Galerie (Champion 2YO Filly), Chevillard, Venusino, My Lad and Matthis –  all from Logical mares.

Alert’s second dam is the multiple Group winner Peanut (eight wins), also a daughter of Logical (Buckpasser-Smart Deb by Dedicate), while his third dam Nut is by Dancing Moss (Ballymoss-Courbette by Native Dancer). Logical, a stakes winner of nine races in the USA, was four times Champion Broodmare Sire in Argentina while Dancing Moss, winner of the Jockey Club Cup at Newmarket and runner-up in the Irish St Leger, was Argentina’s Champion Sire in 1973. Alert is inbred 3fx5m to Northern Dancer, and his pedigree also features line breeding to Native Dancer and to Northern Dancer and Halo’s grandam Almahmoud.

Alert’s fifth dam Premiere Danseuse is by Phalaris and from Queen of the Ballet by Royal Realm (a son of Persimmon). Queen of the Ballet is a three-quarter sister to English St Leger winner and sire Prince Palatine (Persimmon) and half-sister to St James’s Palace Stakes winner Carrickfergus (Count Schomberg), all produced by Lady Lightfoot (Isinglass-Glare by Ayrshire), a half-sister to English 1000 Guineas winner Flare, Champagne Stakes, Coronation Stakes, July Cup and Middle Park Stakes winner Lesbia and Imperial Produce Stakes winner Vivid (all three by St Frusquin) and to Menda (Gallinule), taproot of the family which produced Rory’s Jester.

The Lady Lightfoot branch of Family 1m also features the sires Kenmare, Export Price and Ahonoora, who all stood in Australia, and the Australian bred sprinter and now successful sire Sequalo whose fifth dam Hora (GB) was produced by Nassau Stakes winner Coppelia (Son-in-Law), a daughter of Premiere Danseuse. As mentioned earlier, Alert also looks particularly suited to Danehill and Mr. Prospector line mares and he could also suit Royal Academy (doubling Nijinsky), Palace Music (The Minstrel) and his son Naturalism and mares with Storm Bird, Sir Tristram or Rory’s Jester in their pedigrees. The Nashua horse Farnesio and his son Good Manners are the dam sires of two of Southern Halo’s best runners (Team and El Compinche) and it’s worth remembering that Nashua is broodmare sire of Mr. Prospector and Roberto (whose sons here included At Talaq and Red Ransom).

Alert stands at Kooringal alongside Bureaucracy, Marwina, Zariz and Enemy of Average, the latter three moving across from neighbouring Riverdene Stud, which is no longer standing stallions. n

“A true Trans-Tasman product, conceived in Australia from a meeting between one of the first high profile shuttlers and a NZ-bred Golden Slipper winner, O’Reilly lived up to his pedigree by becoming a star of the track and at stud. The dual Gr.1 winner has been a leading sire since the first of his runners reached the track and these days is at the head of a stellar stallion roster at his birthplace, the Chittick family’s Waikato Stud.

WAIKATO Stud’s 526 ha (1300 acres) at Matamata in New Zealand is in the heart of prime horse countryand consists of the main property plus Centaine Farm and Valleyfields (in the Hineura Valley), the latter used as a base for weanlings.

Established more than 40 years ago by Garry Chittick and with Garry and his son Mark at the helm, the stud has bred hundreds of stakes winners since Centaine took up residence there as foundation stallion and in 2008-09 its graduates won nine Gr.1 races (six individual Gr.1 winners), an Australasian record.

One of the stud’s celebrated early products was the Golden Slipper-Gr.1 heroine Courtza (Pompeii Court (USA)-Hunza by Pakistan II (GB)) whose five wins also included the Blue Diamond Stakes-Gr.1 at two and VRC Ascot Vale Stakes-Gr.2 (now Gr.1) the following season. Rated Champion Juvenile in Australasia (2YO Classification), Courtza produced just three foals when she returned to the Waikato paddocks but one of them is the dual Gr.1 winner O’Reilly (Last Tycoon (IRE)), NZ’s Horse of the Year and Champion Sprinter/Miler in 1997 and the subject of this stallion profile.

A multiple Champion Sire in NZ and Dewar Award (Australian and NZ earnings combined) winner in 2007-08 and 2008-09 and inaugural Centaine Award (international earnings) winner in 2008-09, O’Reilly was the leading Australasian sire by Group winners last season with 10 including the Gr.1 winners Alamosa, Swick and MacO’Reilly (2) plus Guyno, Unique Jewellery, Seven Schillings, Betwixt, Kildare and Old Belverdere. His daughters are making their name too with classic winner Daffodil and The Pooka among stakes winners such as Raid, Tootsie, Morgan Dollar and Takeanotherchance. He was leading sire in Hong Kong in the past two seasons.

Conceived in Australia where his dam visited the triple Gr.1 winner Last Tycoon but born in NZ in 1993, O’Reilly, bred by Waikato Stud Holdings, was entered for the 1995 New Zealand Bloodstock Yearling Sale at Karaka but withdrawn. He raced for Garry Chittick, winning over 1000m on debut on October 26, 1996 and then over 1400m on November 16 before stepping into Gr.1 company at just his third start, winning the Bayer Classic-Gr.1 (1600m) at Levin from High Return and Rebel on November 28. Freshened up, he was back in action on January 18, 1997 and took on NZ’s best sprinters in the WRC Telegraph Handicap-Gr.1 (1200m), remaining unbeaten and relegating Classic Royal and Krispin Klear into the minors. Taken to Australia, he lined up in the VRC Australian Guineas-Gr.1 (1600m) and tasted his first defeat, beaten two lengths into second place by 10/9 favourite Mouawad, a younger brother of Octagonal.

O’Reilly started 11/4 favourite in the VRC Newmarket Handicap-Gr.1 (1200m) at his next start on March 10, but he broke down in running and did not finish in this race won by Ruffles from Catalan Opening, All Our Mob and Mahogany.

Retired to his birthplace on a fee of $10,000, O’Reilly proved extremely popular with breeders and covered 107 mares in his first season (76 living foals) and his book has never dipped below 77 (1999) and reached a high of 232 (175 living foals) in 2007. He covered 163 mares in 2009 ($50,000 plus GST). The NZ Stud Book reports he has left 1138 live foals.

His stock have proved remarkably tough and versatile and 554 of his 693 named foals (80%) have raced and 393 have won (70.9%) for earnings of $56m. His 45 stakes winners (8.1% of runners) include eight Gr.1 winners, the 2008 NZ Champion 3YO Alamosa (dam by Centaine); NZ 1000 Guineas and Levin Classic winner Final Destination (Sound Reason (CAN)); MacO’Reilly (Centaine), NZ Stakes, Waikato International Stakes; Champion NZ 3YO The Jewel (Grosvenor), NZ 1000 Guineas, Waikato International Stakes; Fellowship (Danzalion (USA)), Stewards’ Cup-HKGr.1 and $2.8m in HK; Swick (Crested Wave (USA)), VRC Classic-Gr.1; Gunyo (Centaine), WATC Derby-Gr.1 and Caulfield Cup-Gr.1 hero Master O’Reilly (Bakharoff (USA)), eight wins and $2.96m. He also has the Gr.2 winners Kerry O’Reilly (Grosvenor), Irlanda (Centaine), Joey Massino (Housebuster (USA)) and that horse’s brother Vigor; Rare Insight (Centaine) and Shamrocker (Blues Traveller (IRE)).

Other stakes horses are out of daughters of Grosvenor (a successful cross, as is the cross with Centaine), Carolingian, Shannon, Snippets, Kinjite, Straight Strike (USA), Masterclass (USA), Gulch, Woodman (USA), Citidancer (IRE), Bluebird (IRE), McGinty, Western Symphony, Lord Ballina, Star Way (GB), Kreisler (IRE), Lord Triad, Star of Luskin, Stark South (USA), Kingdom Bay and Sir Tristram (IRE). He also has 37 stakes placed runners.

O’Reilly’s daughters have produced 119 starters from 153 named foals (77.8%) and their 79 winners (66.4%) of $8.4m include nine stakes winners, led by Daffodil (No Excuse Needed (GB)), whose eight wins ($888,807) include the AJC Oaks-Gr.1 (2400m) and the Hawkes Bay Horlicks Challenge-Gr.1 (1600m); The Pooka (Tobougg (IRE)), six wins including NZ 2000 Guineas-Gr.1; the Gr.2 winner Sound Journey (Good Journey); Gr.3 winners Tootsie (Pins), Icepin (Pins) and Listed winners Raid (Pins), Morgan Dollar (Planchet), Takeanotherchance (No Excuse Needed) and Masquerdae (No Excuse Needed).

O’Reilly’s sire Last Tycoon (IRE) (Try My Best-Mill Princess by Mill Reef) was bred at R.C. Strauss’s Kilrush Stud in Ireland and trained in France for his breeder by Robert Collet. He won three of his six starts at two including the Prix d’Arenburg-Gr.3 (1000m, Longchamp) and Prix Pharel (1100m) and as a three-year-old in 1986 he won five of his seven starts including the King’s Stand Stakes-Gr.1 (5f), a short-head from five-year-old Double Schwartz, and York Sprint Championship (now Nunthorpe) Stakes-Gr.1 (5f, beating Green Desert, Double Schwartz) and then proved his versatility by heading to the US where he won the Breeders’ Cup Mile-Gr.1 (8f) at Santa Anita, beating Palace Music. His other wins during the season included the Prix de Saint-Georges-Gr.3 (1000m) and Prix du Gros Chene-Gr.3 (Chantilly, 1000m). He was rated World Champion Sprinter-Miler in 1986 and Champion Sprinter in England, not bad for a horse one journalist described as “bad legged, lightly made colt with neurotic tendencies”!

He stood his first season for Coolmore in Ireland in 1987 on a fee of 35,000 Irish guineas and then became one of the early shuttlers by visiting Arrowfield (then at Jerrys Plains) in 1989 (Danehill first shuttled in 1990). He was an instant success with his first northern runners including St James’s Palace Stakes-Gr.1 winner and English Derby-Gr.1 runner-up Marju (ex Flame of Tara), a 370,000 guinea buy regarded as the best yearling seen at the sales in 1989 and who has subsequently become a leading sire, Juddmonte International winner Ezzoud (a short-lived sire) and smart sprinter Monde Bleu and was Leading European First Crop Sire in 1990 while down south, his first crop daughter Lady Jakeo won the Blue Diamond Stakes-Gr.1 and son Mahogany won the QTC Sires’ Produce-Gr.1 and Castlemaine Stakes and others in that crop included Magic of Money, Just Awesome and in South Africa, Tracy’s Element (a Gr.1 winner at two, who added five more  Gr.1 wins at three and four) and Super Sheila.

His 754 winners from 1184 starers (63.7%) include 76SW (6.4%) and 77SP (6.5%) and his 18 Gr.1 winners are led by Australian Horse of the Year Mahogany (dam by Alydar), winner of the AJC and VRC Derbys, Caulfield Guineas and Lightning Stakes (twice) among 19 wins for $3.36m and also include Tracy’s Element (Ahonoora), Taipan (Chief Singer), Bigstone (Posse), Tycoon Lil (Imposing), Lady Jackeo (Lunchtime), Marju (Artaius), Knowledge (Kings Island), Magic of Money (Kaoru Star) and Ezzoud (Claude).

Last Tycoon’s sire is the Dewhurst Stakes-Gr.1 winner Try My Best (Northern Dancer-Sex Appeal by Buckpasser), a brother to dual classic winner El Gran Senor (English 2000 Guineas, Irish Derby, sire) and has influential broodmare Best in Show as his third dam (also third dam of Redoute’s Choice. This of course makes O’Reilly daughters look very appealing for Redoute’s Choice (and vice versa with daughters of Redoute’s Choice and his close relatives Umatilla, Hurricane Sky and Al Maher). Good Journey (fourth dam Best in Show) has already produced the Gr.2 winner Sound Journey (Best in Show 5fx6f) from a daughter of O’Reilly.

O’Reilly’s maternal line came to NZ more than 100 years ago with the importation of the mare Hebrew Maid (1904), who dropped England-conceived daughter Lovelorn (Melton) in the 1906-07 season. Lovelorn’s sire Melton won the 1885 English Derby by a head from Paradox after winning the Middle Park Stakes the previous year. He also won the St Leger and July Cup. He started his stud career in England and then spent seven years at stud in Italy before returning to stand successfully in Kent. A noted broodmare sire, his daughters included Yours, Miss Mildred and Absurdity, who produced the winners of six classic races.

It is Lovelorn’s branch of this famous family – her descendants include Beau Vite (champion, Cox Plate, twice, Mackinnon Stakes, twice, NZ Derby, St Leger, Auckland Cup), Temeraire (Champagne Stakes), Palestrina (NZ Oaks), Old Bill (Wellington Cup), Motere (Auckland Cup), Peter Jackson (Auckland and Wellington St Legers, Moonee Valley Gold Cup), Gaine Carrington (Caulfield Cup), Wotan (Melbourne Cup) – the last three being produced by Lovelorn’s daughter Left (Martian (GB)), who is also dam of Kriemhild (Siegfried), a sister to Wotan and fifth dam of Courtza.

Courtza’s fourth dam Glamor Girl is by the 1926 English Derby winner Coronach (Hurry On-Wet Kiss by Tredennis) bred by whiskey magnate James Buchanan (1st Baron Woolavington) and presented to NZ in 1940 by his daughter Lady Macdonald-Buchanan. Already the sire of Arc winner Corrida and the Italian Derby winner Niccolo Dell’Arca in Europe, Coronach was a success in NZ before his death in 1949. By the way, Coronach’s 10 wins also included the St James’s Palace Stakes, Eclipse Stakes, St Leger, Coronation Cup, Hardwicke Stakes, and Champagne Stakes and he was runner-up in the 2000 Guineas. Glamour Girl’s winners included Equal Terms (Fair’s Fair), winner of the Wanganui Guineas and CJC Challenge Stakes, while a daughter Avonlea produced the good performer Anne Gable (third dam of Wellington Cup winner Willy Smith).

O’Reilly’s fourth dam Glamin (Instinct (GB)), also remembered as the third dam on NZ Oaks winner Glamour Bay, produced handy performer Chatty Lady (Chatsworth II (GB)) in 1961. Chatty Lady won seven races from 6f-11f and while her winners also included stakes placed Hearts are Trumps, Kapelle Lady (dam of Kapchat and Noble Hero) and Lalos, her best runner was her brilliant daughter Hunza (Pakistan II), who is O’Reilly’s grandam and a foal of in 1970.

By one of the great NZ sires Pakistan (Palestine-Tambara-Nasrullah), a terrific source of speed - his runners included Rajah Sahib, Wood Court Inn, Triton, Tropic Jewel, Zambari, Purple Patch and Zahedi – Hunza only won once in seven starts but was a top class juvenile, beating Love Aloft in the VRC Bloodhorse Breeders’ Plate-Gr.2 (1400m) at two when she was also runner-up in the Reisling Slipper Trial-Gr.3 (to Favourite Girl) and third (of 20) behind Poppy Show in the VRC Talindert Stakes (1000m) on debut. She was also fifth (behind Taj Rossi, New Gleam, Sincere Pride and Zahedi) in the Ascot Vale Stakes-Gr.2 (1200m) first up at three.

Hunza proved outstanding as a broodmare with eight of her 10 foals winning, five of them stakes winners (two Gr.1) and two stakes placed, while a city-winning daughter Benazir (Vice Regal) produced the NZ Gr.1 winner Critic (Centaine) and city-winning daughter Eastern Princess is the grandam of NZ Gr.1 winner Prince Kaapstad (Kaapstad).

Hunza’s Gr.1 winners were the brother and sister Our Pompeii (Adelaide Cup, twice, South Australian Derby among seven wins from 1100m-3200m) and Courtza (1989 Golden Slipper from Paris Opera and Show County; Blue Diamond, both Gr.1, plus Ascot Vale Stakes-Gr.2, from Prince Salieri; Verve Clicquot-Gr.2,

Blue Diamond Prelude-Gr.3), both being by the handy American performer Pompeii Court, by inbred Hollywood Derby-Gr.1 winner Tell (Knight’s Daughter 2mx3f), a son of Round Table and from Port Damascus, by champion Damascus and from Hollywood Oaks winner Paris Pike by Tulyar. Pompeii Court won 13 of his 34 starts from age three to six including the Longacres Mile-Gr.2 at five and he set a mile record at that track in winning an Allowance there as a four year-old.

Hunza’s other stakes winners were the tough Lost Valley (Decies) whose 16 wins (1250m-2060m) included the Canterbury Cup-Gr.3, Fixed Flush (Brigand), whose 15 wins (1200m-1634m) included the Doomben Stakes-Gr.3 and NZ-based sire Hunza Court (Pompeii Court), whose five wins (1400m-1433m) included the Chester Manifold Stakes-LR, Creswick Stakes-LR and VRC Rising Star Stakes-LR.

A stakes-placed daughter Minidece (Decies) produced Listed winner Tiszae (Pompeii Court).

Courtza produced O’Reilly in 1993 and his winning half-sister O’Really (Centaine) in 1996. O’Really is the dam of Listed winner Keano (Pins) and Gr.3 runner-up Be Delicious (Danasinga). Courtza’s final live foal was Kingmaker (Last Tycoon) in 1998.

A minor winner at 1200m and 1300m in Australia, he is at stud in NZ (from 2003).

O’Reilly has sired the winners of about $2m in Australia this season, with the main earner of his 20 winners being Vigor, winner of the Craiglee Stakes-Gr.2 in September and runner-up in the Blamey Stakes-Gr.2 in March and recent VRC Sires’ Produce Stakes-Gr.2 winner Shamrocker, while in NZ the best of his 27 winners of almost $500,000 is Joey Massino, winner of the Avondale Guineas-Gr.2 in December and the Wellington Stakes-Gr.3 in January. The leading sire in Hong Kong in the past two seasons, O’Reilly is currently running third there behind Danehill Dancer and Encosta de Lago, with 11 winners of $2.69m, led by Fellowship, winner of the Stewards’ Cup-HKGr.1 on January 31 and runner-up in the Queen’s Silver Jubilee Cup-HKGr.1 on March 14.

With earnings of $56m and a winners-to-runners ratio of 70%, O’Reilly has made an outstanding contribution to the Australasian breeding industry and this looks set to grow, given the quality mares who have visited him in the past few seasons. He’s had a happy nick with mares by Waikato’s first great sire Centaine, and now O’Reilly daughters are having similar success with the stud’s “new boys” Pins and No Excuse Needed.

Anyone looking for a proven horse, whose yearlings are always in demand (selling to $600,000 at the 2010 Karaka Premier and with other lots making $420,000 (twice), $360,000, $330,000 and $310,000 and selling to Australia, Hong Kong, Singapore and NZ) should take a long look at O’Reilly. A handsome horse, a Gr.1 winner whose sire and dam were Gr.1 winners and now a sire of Gr.1 winners and broodmare sire of Gr.1 winners – he’s got nothing left to prove. n

“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.

WITH 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.

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.

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.