Avontuur’s sadly sidelined sire Oratorio enjoyed another memorable weekend with his progeny faring well both in South Africa and Singapore.
The champion son of Danehill had a most taking debut winner at Greyville on Friday night when his first South African crop son Graduate made a winning debut over 1400m for trainer Dennis Bosch.

Bred by Pippa Mickleburgh, Graduate was backed down to start a 2-1 tote favourite and he duly obliged to score by half a length.

Out of a mare by emerging broodmare sire Var (already damsire of the likes of She’s A Giver, Mambonick and Miss Frankel), Graduate was originally bought from the 2016 Emperors Palace Select Yearling Sale (he was the joint top lot sold off that sale –costing R3.2 million).

The Oratorio/Var cross had previously produced feature race winner Arianos Bagofgold, winner of the Sentinel Stakes last season. Graduate has a full-sister on offer at the CTS Ready To Run Sale next month.

Another from the triple G1 winner’s first SA crop (now 3yos) is talented filly Mrs O, who ran a cracking race to finish second in the G2 Joburg Spring F&M Challenge, beaten only by talented G1 performer Bella Sonata. A smart winner on debut, Mrs O has now won two of just four outings and looks a well above average filly.

Oratorio is also responsible for Fortune Spirit, who picked up a fourth win when victorious at Kranji on Sunday.

A dual champion sire in Italy and responsible for nearly 50 stakes winners the world over, Oratorio has seven lots on November’s Ready To Run Sale, including a half-sister to G3 winner Cat And The Moon (Lot 45), a half-brother to Umngeni Handicap hero Rodney (Lot ) and a filly out of G3 Tommy Hotspur Handicap winner Miss October (Lot 83).