The winner of this year’s Italian Oaks has an Australian link with prominent syndicator OTI Racing recently securing a 50 per cent interest in Auyantepui.
The Oaks was run in Milan on Sunday (Monday morning AEST) with Auyantepui remaining unbeaten from three starts in her first run since OTI were able to secure a half-share in the filly from her owner-breeder.
OTI’s Terry Henderson said it was a thrill to see Auyantepui win the 2200m Group Two race.
“It was because you pay a fair amount of money for these sorts of horses and you know whilst the stake money is quite good, the reality is the broodmare value now of this filly has rocketed up from where it was to probably three times what it was,” Henderson said.
“It really makes her quite a valuable filly on a global scale.”
Henderson said the plan was for the well-bred Auyantepui to head to France to be trained out of Chantilly.
“The plan for her was to go to the Oaks and then she will move across to France and go to a young trainer over there, Mario Baratti,” Henderson said.
“We were looking at possibly starting her in the (Italian) Derby next week but I don’t think we’ll do that.
“She’ll head there (to France) and we’d hope to pick up a nice feature there.
“I don’t think she’ll be a horse that comes to Australia. She’s now quite a valuable filly so she’ll probably stay in Europe.
“If she ever came to Australia it would be this year for a Cox Plate, but even that we haven’t even discussed it in any form.”
