Both stallions offer breeders unique and affordable opportunities for the season ahead and complement Orlandi's growing roster which includes Far Above (Ire), Kuroshio (Aus), Smooth Daddy and Galileo Chrome (Ire).

“It's a great honour to stand a son of Dubawi (Ire),” said Orlandi of Dubawi Legend's sire line. “He was Champion European Sire last year and as we've seen with sons of Dubawi in the shape of New Bay (GB), Night of Thunder (Ire), Zarak (Fr) etc, he's proved to be a sire of sires.”

As well as being from one of the strongest sire lines shaping the breed currently, Dubawi Legend also had other attributes which attracted Orlandi to him.

“He was a top-class 2-year-old,” explained Orlandi. “He was the second highest-rated 2-year-old of his year, he was pipped to being champion by Native Trail (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}) who beat him in the G1 Dewhurst S. His 3-year-old campaign might not have gone exactly to plan but he still showed a lot of speed and won a Group 3 in Germany. He's run enough to show that he is sound and consistent, and he has retired sound of limb and wind.”

Describing his conformation, Orlandi added, “He's 16hh and he has great limbs on him. He's a dark bay with no white on him, which is important to some breeders, as well as having a lovely action.”

Although Dubawi Legend didn't arrive at the yard until January, Orlandi has been pleased with the amount of footfall he has seen in those all-important pre-season months.

“The most mares we have covered with a stallion was 140 and that was for Far Above,” said Orlandi. “Judging by the traction we had with him before his first season compared to the traction we have had for Dubawi Legend, I would envisage we will cover the same number if not more. He's the most popular stallion we have ever retired to stud, bringing in not just my existing clients but also new breeders.”

Orlandi's other recruit, King Of Change, has two seasons at stud under his belt and his first crop of foals were popular at the 2022 foal sales. His top lot came courtesy of a Mareshah Stud-consigned colt at the Goffs November Foal Sale who sold for €50,000 and buyers included the likes of WH Bloodstock, Whatton Manor Stud, Peter and Ross Doyle among others.

“Some might say we are cornering the market of having sons Of Farhh (GB) given that we have Far Above here too,” joked Orlandi. “King Of Change is probably Farhh's leading son because he was second in the Guineas, he won the G1 Queen Elizabeth II S. and he's a beautiful, big, imposing horse with a fantastic walk.”

“He spent two seasons at Derrinstown,” explained Orlandi. “He was a stallion prospect we enquired about before he retired to stud but it wasn't meant to be then, but he's joined us now and we are delighted to have him. Those people who sold foals by him or who have yearlings by him now are coming back to use him this year and we had a limited number of breeding rights to sell which went down very well.”

Everyone knows that it takes a lot of hard work and dedication to make it in any facet of the industry, but it can be especially hard to be an independent stallion operator. Orlandi's Compas Stallions first started back in 2016 with Showcasing (GB)'s Cappella Sansevero (GB) and he has come a long way since then to now be fully established at Starfield Stud with an expanding roster of young stallions.

Reflecting on the business, Orlandi said, “It's going really well to be honest, we are still in business and that's the trick, to stay afloat. We've taken a long-term view that hopefully we can stand stallions successfully and that doesn't just mean that we make a business out of it but that we stand stallions that can impact the breed forevermore.”

With the season in full swing and hopefully many horse boxes navigating their way to the Irish midlands, maybe it won't be long before Compas Stallions puts Orlandi on the global map.

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He will be the second son of Farhh (GB) to join the roster at Orlandi's up-and-coming Starfield Stud on the outskirts of Mullingar, County Westmeath, joining speedster Far Above (Ire), whose first foals will go under the hammer next month. 

Orlandi revealed that he tried to strike a deal to stand King Of Change upon his retirement from racing and his eventual arrival at Starfield Stud after a two-year pursuit is something the young stallion man says he's extremely excited about. 

He said, “We inquired about him when the decision was made that he was going to stud. At the time, he was going to stand under the Godolphin banner and I know my great neighbours at Tally-Ho were also interested in him as well. To cut a long story short, he ended up at the late Sheikh Hamdan al Maktoum's stud in Derrinstown but we have always kept a close eye on this horse. 

“The owner, Mr Ali Abdulla Saeed, and his advisors came to visit us here at Starfield Stud during the summer and asked if we would be interested in creating a partnership to stand the horse. The deal was jointly orchestrated by Mr Anthony Stroud and we're really excited to finally have him here.”

Orlandi added, “With him being a Group 1 winner and a Guineas runner-up, he boasts some great performances on the racetrack and he has a super physical to go with that. He also has an excellent pedigree and I feel he has the credentials to be a successful stallion.

“From looking at his foals that have arrived here at Starfield Stud and having visited farms and spoken to the breeders who have used him, people are very positive about the foals they have by him. This gave me more confidence that he is producing good types that are similar to himself.”

King Of Change covered 72 mares in his first full season followed by 49 this term and Orlandi is hopeful that he can build on those numbers next year. 

He explained, “We've discussed a few marketing strategies and plan to support him and the breeders who have used him already in the sales ring. We also plan to increase the broodmare band of his racing owner, Mr Ali Abdulla Saeed, and support the horse with as many good mares as possible from 2023 onwards. 

“We will also be releasing breeding rights to him next year, which we find is a good way to support a stallion with a bedrock of mares. Off the back of the foal sales, I would be disappointed if we cannot record a record book with him in 2023, with the help of breeders and supporters of the horse.”

Along with Far Above, King Of Change will stand alongside Kuroshio (Aus), Smooth Daddy and Galileo Chrome (Ire) at Starfield Stud, with Orlandi reporting his other son of Farhh to have recorded some impressive numbers in his first two seasons.

He said, “We covered 142 mares with Far Above in year one and 117 this year. His foals are exceptional as is Farhh, the sire of Far Above and King Of Change. I'd be very confident that the Pivotal (GB) line, which has been so successful with Siyouni (Fr) and Farhh, will continue on with his sons Far Above and King Of Change. A fee for King Of Change will be announced in due course.”

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Orlandi said, “We are delighted to be back sponsoring at Naas racecourse at the start of the 2021 flat season and in the midst of a very busy covering season. Sponsorship is pivotal, as owners are central to our wonderful sport. However, we also want to reward breeders, the backbone of this fantastic industry. Therefore we are providing a nomination to the winning breeder, of the named stallion race. We would like to wish the owners and all the connections, the very best of luck on Sunday.”

“We are delighted to have Compas Stallions back sponsoring at Naas and the support in sponsoring half the card is hugely appreciated,” added Naas Racecourse General Manager Eamonn McEvoy. “It is fantastic to see Micheal rewarding four winning breeders with a free nomination to a Compas Stallion.”

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AC: Micheal, Far Above, although lightly raced, was a racehorse of note. What were some of the highlights of his racing career?

MO: He was a fantastic racehorse and exceptionally fast. He started off as a breeze up horse and I liked the fact that he came through the breeze ups and developed into top-class racehorse. It showed great strength of mind and physical strength that he progressed throughout his career and got better. What I loved about his career was he actually got faster when James Tate, his trainer, dropped him back in trip. He started at seven, went back to six, and his best race and best career performance was at Newmarket in the Palace House over five furlongs. Race record is very important in signing a stallion, and Far Above ended his career being Timeform rated 122.

AC: How is it that he came to stand at Compas Stallions?

MO: These things are very interesting and normally not very straightforward, but in a roundabout way, Jack Cantillon and myself wanted to stand a stallion together under the Compas banner alongside his racing syndicate. There was plenty of other people interested in the stallion but Jack and I put together a pitch and we approached Jono Mills of Rabbah on behalf of Sheikh Dalmook and we were fortunate that they decided the best place for Far Above was Compas Stallions. We are really excited to have him. He’s really a stallion that we think complements Kuroshio (Aus) and the rest of the guys here: Cappella Sansevero (Ire) and Smooth Daddy.

AC: He is by an interesting sire and his damsire is one of the most prolific around. What are the highlights of his pedigree?

MO:  He’s by Farhh, who statistically is an exceptional stallion. He is a son of Pivotal (GB), who is a proven sire of sires with Siyouni (Fr) doing so well in France. Far Above is out of a Shamadal mare, probably the broodmare sire of the moment, and the cross of Pivotal and Shamadal has worked well.

AC: He looks to be an imposing type of horse. Tell us about his conformation.

MO: He’s a fantastic physical. I remember reading somewhere that Napoleon had a famous war horse called Marengo and if I had to ride to war, I’d definitely ride to war on Far Above. He’s got fantastic use of himself first and foremost. A beautiful head, great, genuine eye with an unbelievable shoulder to him. He’s got great bone and he’s very correct. The physical is very hard to fault, because he has all the attributes you’d want. He’s got plenty of strength, he’s well balanced and he has a great way of walking. You wouldn’t hear him walk past you, he just glides over the ground. I don’t know anyone who has come to see him who has faulted him.

AC: Considering the positive reviews from those who have come to see him, do you have an idea of how well supported he might be in the new season?

MO: Breeders in Ireland are very conscious of breeding fast, precocious horses as well as breeding a horse that hopefully will sell well too. Far Above has those attributes in pedigree and physique. Breeders on the flat are very clued in, they know the time of day, and the amount of interest in him from breeders in France, the UK and all across Ireland has been great. It’s not by accident that there is a huge interest in breeding rights. The people who are planning to breed to Far Above and who have bought breeding rights for Far Above have been successful and have established themselves as leading breeders in Ireland, the UK and France for a number of years. They’re not a flash in the pan. It gives me great confidence in the stallion and I think an apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree so I’d be very confident that Far Above will be a success for everyone who’s involved in him.

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“A tall, scopey, athletic individual with a fantastic walk, Galileo Chrome was one of the best 3-year-olds in training this year,” said Compas’s Micheal Orlandi. “A great physical, with a star-studded pedigree, he is everything that National Hunt breeders look for in a stallion.”

The second foal of a winning Dansili mare, herself a half-sister to stakes winner and St Leger third Michelangelo (GB) (Galileo {Ire}) and SW Private Secretary (GB) (Kingman {GB}), Galileo Chrome was a €75,000 RNA at the Goffs Orby Yearling Sale. His MSP second dam is a full-sister to SW & GSP Approach (GB) (Darshaan {GB}), the dam of French highweight and MG1SW Coronet (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), as well as Irish highweight Midas Touch (GB) (Galileo {Ire}), who won the G2 Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial and was second in both the G1 Irish Derby and St Leger. The stallion Aussie Rules (Danehill), who won the G1 French 2000 Guineas, is also a half-brother to Intrigued (GB) (Darshaan {GB}) and Approach. Galileo Chrome’s fourth dam is the outstanding blue hen Alruccaba (Ire) (Crystal Palace {Fr}).

Said O’Brien, “Australia was one of the best I rode and Galileo Chrome is easily, one of the best I trained. Unbeaten in his 3-year-old campaign, which culminated in victory in the G1 St Leger, I think he could have been the leading middle-distance horse in Europe next year. However, fortunately for breeders, he retires to stud and offers an opportunity to use a top class racehorse. He is a beautiful looking individual with all the qualities I look for in a racehorse. I could not recommend him enough and look forward to training his offspring.”

“Galileo Chrome developed into a high-class racehorse in a very short space of time,” said Kevin Blake. “From winning over a mile-and-a-quarter at Leopardstown, powering through heavy ground to win a listed race at Navan and winning the St Leger on good-to-firm ground, he wasn’t found wanting for anything. His relaxed and straightforward nature meant that he could be ridden any way that was necessary, making much of the running to win at Leopardstown and showing pace to win the St Leger under a waiting ride.”

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