Starfield Stud open for business with roster led by Cappella Sansevero

The four horses standing under Micheál Orlandi's Compas Stallions banner have been settling in well to their new surroundings at Starfield Stud, a purpose-built facility on the shores of Lough Owel, near Mullingar in County Westmeath.

The roster is headed by , a Group 1-placed son of Showcasing who topped the inaugural Goffs London Sale in 2014 when hammered down to Sheikh Fahad Al Thani for £1.3 million.

His first crop of two-year-olds last year included the Group 2 Mill Reef Stakes scorer Pierre Lapin, which has seen his stud fee climb to €7,000 this year.

"I'm very proud to be standing stallions from where I grew up," says the 32-year-old Orlandi.

"Cappella Sansevero covered over 100 mares in his first season and I thought it was easy.

"Next we picked up Strath Burn. He was a challenge, but it taught me a few valuable lessons that I probably needed to learn in the early part of my career."

Cappella Sansevero is joined on the roster by Kuroshio, a Group 2-winning sprinter by Exceed And Excel whose first-crop daughter Kurious is one of five stakes performers by the sire.

Kuroshio covered a three-figure book of mares last year and represents a €6,000 option for breeders.

"I was lucky enough to come into contact with Mr Abdulaziz Al Rabban through his retained agent Billy Jackson-Stops and they were looking to diversify their portfolio and invest in a stallion," says Orlandi.

"Kuroshio - having exceeded all expectations with a very limited crop of first runners - stood out and fortunately his northern hemisphere breeding rights were secured.

"He's been extremely well received and his runners are doing the talking for him, particularly Kurious, who won the Group 3 Coral Charge for Henry Candy last season."

Completing the roster is the Prince of Wales's Stakes scorer , who is priced at €2,500, and the Scat Daddy stallion , who commands a €5,000 fee.

"I'd bought a few horses for Paul and Claire Rooney and, with the help of Jason Maguire, that led to My Dream Boat being sent to me," explains Orlandi.

"He's a super-looking horse and a great outcross for Sadler's Wells line mares, not forgetting the fact he's a Group 1 winner. The great sign for me is that the people who have used him were so happy with their foals that they are coming back to use him again.

"I was keen to get a son of Scat Daddy if I could and luckily I was able to source Smooth Daddy from America. He's a Grade 3 winner over there with a powerful walk. He's been well received by breeders and one I'm excited about.

"Pierre Lapin is flying the flag for Cappella Sansevero, so there's plenty to look forward to."

Despite his family having no previous experience in the thoroughbred industry, Orlandi was bitten by "the bug" at a young age having grown up around ponies and gone racing at nearby Kilbeggan.

"When the opportunity arose as a teenager to go and ride out for Dot Love, I jumped at it," he says. "That's not today or yesterday, Dot was pre-training and breaking horses for Gigginstown and David Wachman was still a jumps trainer and had a horse called Hear The Echo at the time that I remember fondly."

Following a successful stint with Coolmore Australia, Orlandi returned to Ireland, where he completed an international business degree at University College Dublin.

He recalls: "My parents were keen for me to go and get a 'real job' after university so I ended up going to America to work for the Irish Dairy Board in Boston. Company car, nice weather - life was good.

"But everything changed when I came back for my graduation ceremony a few months later. Madeline Burns of Rathasker Stud was on my course and was there with her parents. I got talking to her dad, Maurice, and he offered me a job. I instantly handed in my notice in America and my parents were in shock, but I couldn't believe my luck.

"The first sale I worked for Maurice when I came back was at Fairyhouse and the first horse I led through the ring for him turned out to be Top Notch Tonto.

"I had a great time at Rathasker and learned so much from Maurice. One day he asked me what I'd like to do next, I mentioned I'd like to work for a trainer and next thing you know I had an interview with Mark Johnston.

"Maurice was a key catalyst in my career. If it wasn't for him I wouldn't be where I am today. Mark was also exceptionally important. I owe the two of them a lot."

Orlandi spent two seasons in a bloodstock and marketing role with Johnston, including a spell covering the head racing secretary position. He was also involved in liaising with owners, and recruited Lady O'Reilly as a new owner for the yard.

"At 26, an opportunity arose to go out on my own as a bloodstock agent," says Orlandi.

"In hindsight, I probably didn't have enough potential work on the books to go solo, but I couldn't let the chance pass me by. I had no mortgage and not much to my name, so I took a punt. It was tough and I second guessed myself a lot in the early days.

"I traded under the Compas Equine banner and had done a few bits and pieces for James Acheson. James was considering getting involved in another stallion and asked me to put a proposal together for him. I did, and before we knew it we had bought Cappella Sansevero and, just like that, Compas Stallions began."

A successful open day this month allowed breeders to inspect the four stallions up close and also take a look around the new facility.

"I'm very upbeat about the future here at Starfield," says Orlandi. "I've tried to put as much thought into the layout of the place as I could - everything is where it is and done the way it is done for a reason.

"There's no reason why Compas Stallions can't continue to grow in the short to medium term, and hopefully in the long term Starfield can become a premier stallion station.

"I want to think outside the box and approach things differently, even raising capital for investment in stallions closer to a model you might see in Australia.

"I see lots of opportunity for Compas Stallions and Starfield Stud - the future looks bright."

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