Avontuur Thoroughbred Farm’s successful sire Oratorio truly had a weekend to remember over the past week.
Not only did Oratorio sons Mardi Gras and Divine Odyssey land the G2 Senor Santa Stakes and Listed Drum Star Handicap respectively at Turffontein on Saturday, but their sire also had winners in both Australia and Ireland over the weekend.
Oratorio had a feature race double to remember when his sons Mardi Gras and Divine Odyssey both won black type features for trainer Johan Janse Van Vuuren on Saturday.
In landing the G2 Senor Santa Stakes, talented four-year-old Mardi Gras stamped himself a potential contender for the G1 Tsogo Sun Sprint later this year.
Bred by Avontuur Thoroughbred Farm (and one of four winners on Saturday for jockey Randall Simons), the consistent Mardi Gras took his tally of wins to six with an emphatic two and a half length victory in the R400 000 Senor Santa Stakes. His beaten rivals included no fewer than ten graded stakes winners, headed by multiple G1 winner Bull Valley.
The 2019 Senor Santa Stakes winner was the joint sales topper at the 2016 Emperors Palace Select Yearling Sale, where Mardi Gras was knocked down for R3 200 000.
Mardi Gras, who is from Oratorio’s first South African crop, has now won R726 488 in prize money.
His paternal half-brother Divine Odyssey became Oratorio’s 54th black type winner when he won the Listed Drum Star Handicap for trainer Johan Janse Van Vuuren and jockey Calvin Habib.
Dispatched a 28-1 shot, the four-year-old gelding stormed home to pick up the first black type win of his career by two lengths. In landing the 1800m Drum Star, Divine Odyssey took his earnings to over R380 000.
Oratorio, whose 2yo son Gold Dragon made a winning debut at Fairview on Friday, is also the sire of the durable Irish based gelding Georgian Bay who picked up the seventh win of his career when scoring at Dundalk on Friday evening.
Oratorio had yet more international success on Sunday, when his son Keymaster won the Euroa Cup at Benalla in Australia.
A dual champion sire in Italy, Oratorio is responsible for over 90 black type performers and his progeny have banked over $62 000 000 in prize money.
The triple G1 winning son of Danehill has a stellar draft of 18 lots on offer at the 2019 Emperors Palace National Yearling Sale, with his yearlings there including a full-brother (Lot 169) to G3 performer Cloud Break, a half-brother (Lot 337) to July winning champion Big City Life, and a filly (Lot 377) whose dam is a ¾ sister to Horse Of The Year and four time G1 winner Futura as well as recent winner Scribner.