Mungrup Stud has announced its fees for 2015 with Champion sire Oratorio (Aus) topping the roster at $11,000.
The stakes winning son of Stravinsky is odds-on to win the WA 2YO title for the fifth time after his colt Lucky Street accelerated to an effortless victory in the G2 Kattakatta Plate last Saturday. Trainer Trevor Andrews will pit him against the nation’s best sprinters in the G1 Winterbottom Stakes next season.
Eastern States youngster Gold Busker is another high-flying juvenile by Oratorio. He won the LR Gold Sovereign Stakes and just missed out on the Tasmanian – South Australian Magic Millions 2YO Classic double when beaten a nose at Morphettville.
Oratorio will also claim the WA 3YO premiership this season. He has sired 14 winners of 25 races in that division with Palace Intruder leading the charge in the LR Aquanita Stakes.
Castle Retreat weighed with three wins at Ascot to help his sire break through $1 million barrier in 3Yo earnings last month. His stablemate Fire Born has won twice in town in addition to placings in the LR Breeders’ Classic and Magic Millions 3YO Trophy.
“Our stallions continue to hit home runs on the track and in the sale ring,” Mungrup owner Gray Williamson said. “All our sires are Westspeed nominated in the newly revised scheme meaning owners will be racing for in excess of $75,000 on any given Saturday metro race day.
“The bonuses are amazing and Oratorio continues to be Westspeed’s No.1 sire.”
English National Stud shuttler Dick Turpin stands an unchanged fee of $8,800 after his first-crop yearlings averaged $41,474 at the Perth Magic Millions. The Group 1 winning sprinter-miler finished third on average to Oratorio and War Chant among local stallions.
Top-price of $105,000 was paid by Frank Fiore for the colt out of a sister to stakes winners Hot Shot Brother and Cool Business. Other Perth buyers to open their cheque books for a Dick Turpin included Joe Byrne ($90,000), Vern Brockman ($80,000) and John Chalmers ($70,000).
Dick Turpin’s first English bred two year-olds will be seen out shortly as the northern flat season moves into the summer months. Among them are two colts who made AUD 134,350 at the Tattersalls yearling sale in October.
Playing God and Danehill Express have both been reduced from last year to $4,400 (inc gst).
Playing God (Blackfriars) will cover his second book in 2015. He was a dual winner of the Group 1 Kingston Town Stakes at Ascot and was also Group 1 placed behind Black Caviar and Shocking in Melbourne.
“No local horse of his calibre has stood here since Aquanita!” Williamson claimed shortly after the stallion retired last year. “He was a two year-old winner at Ascot and then came back for an absolute stellar season as a three year-old.”
Timeform ranked Playing God the equal of Buffering in his classic year. He was also voted WA Horse of the Year and his 121 rating was the highest ever awarded to a three year-old from Perth.
Danehill Express (Danehill) is third on the Sunspeed sires’ ladder behind Blackfriars and Oratorio who retired seasons in advance of his farewell from Brian Mayfield-Smith in Melbourne.
Properantes added his name to stakes winners by Danehill Express in the LR Raconteur Stakes (1500m) last month. Trainer Colin Webster has plans for more black-type at the next summer carnival.
“It was a tough sale for WA breeders this year,” Williamson admitted. “We have moved our prices to meet the market with the intention of providing breeders with a quality product at a competitive price.”
MUNGRUP STUD 2015 ROSTER
ORATORIO (Stravinsky) – $11,000
DICK TURPIN (Tagula) – $8,800
PLAYING GOD (Blackfriars) – $4,400
DANEHILL EXPRESS (Danehill) – $4,400
HALA BEK (Halling) – $3,300
All fees (inc gst)