Champion 'obvious' Oratorio target

Kieren Fallon believes next month’s Emirates Airline Champion Stakes at Newmarket would be an ideal race for Oratorio following the colt’s brilliant success at Leopardstown.

The Aidan O’Brien-trained three-year-old showed his victory over Motivator in the Coral-Eclipse Stakes was no fluke when again claiming the Vodafone Derby winner’s scalp in the Baileys Irish Champion Stakes last weekend.

“Everything went our way and he deserved it really – he’s been a tough and consistent horse from day one and he never really got the recognition because he’s a lazy sort of character,” Fallon told At The Races.

“He really showed us how good he is. The obvious one, you would think, is the English Champion Stakes. He goes on any ground but it’s up to the trainer and the owner.

“There’s lots of doors open for him, he’ll get a trip and he goes on any ground.

“Aidan has done a fantastic job with him because he’s probably not the easiest horse to train. He’s had his niggly, little problems – one which kept him out of the Juddmonte International which was a target and he might well have won.”