The Foals That Have the Irish Talking

10th July 2007

He’s a triple Group One winning son of Danehill and his first crop of foals have made Irish breeders sit up and take notice.

With so many sons of Danehill going to stud all over the world it’s hard to get excited about all of them, but the arrival of some spectacular foals by Coolmore based shuttle sire Oratorio (IRE) will have many Aussie breeders waiting with anticipation to see a few of their own.

A top class and durable performer at two with four wins and two seconds from seven starts, Oratorio trained on at three to add Group One wins in the Eclipse Stakes and Irish Champion Stakes to his juvenile Group One triumph in the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere.

Warmly supported in Ireland, Oratorio received 152 mares in his debut season and his first foals are drawing rave reviews.

This eye-catching bay colt (pictured) is from unraced Chalice Wells, a full sister to champion stayer Yeats, winner of the Group One Ascot Gold Cup for the second time running this year.

He is also bred on the highly successful Danehill x Sadler’s Wells cross which has produced a host of stakes horses including recent Group One winner Peeping Fawn.

Also out of a Sadler’s Wells mare is this attractive colt from Secret Wells, a half-sister to US Group One winner Atticus.

From the Woodman mare Lady Scarlett is this stylish bay colt, a three-quarter brother to stakes-placed four year-old Safari Sunset, who is by Danehill’s ill-fated sire son Mozart.

Bred on the Danehill x Woodman cross that has proven so successful with champion filly Miss Finland, this colt’s dam Lady Scarlett is a half-sister to three stakes-winners in Home of the Free, Poolesta and Desert Fox.

Last but by no means least is this lovely filly from the Royal Academy mare Sachet, a full sister to stakes-winner Royal Shyness from the Group Two winner Miss Demure.

She too is bred on a proven cross with champion sprinter Fastnet Rock sired by Danehill from a mare by Royal Academy.

Oratorio covered 117 mares in Australia last spring and will return this year at a fee of $27,500.