Golden Slipper a perfect fit for Pierro

Heading into the race as the winner of three from three, two-year-old Lonhro colt Pierro maintained his unbeaten record, dominating his peers to win the $3.5million G1 Golden Slipper over 1200m on March 7.

Jumping away from barrier one, jockey Nash Rawiller was content to settle the colt just off the pace on the rail. As the field fanned on the home turn, Rawillier asked Pierro for his effort and the colt set out after the Gerald Ryan-trained Snitzerland who had pulled away from the rest of the field. Showing all the tenacity we have become accustomed to from not only Pierro, but his sire as well, the impressive colt pulled away for a long neck victory.

Recording back-to-back Golden Slipper victories for the Darley sires, after the victory of Elusive Quality colt Sepoy last year, Pierro was bred by Darley and is out of the Daylami mare Miss Right Note, a half-sister to Octagonal’s French G1-winning son Laverock. Miss Right Note foaled a full-sister to Pierro in 2011 before being covered by Street Cry during the last breeding season.

Managing Director Henry Plumptre stated after the race, "If there is a perfect result that does not include Sheikh Mohammed as the owner - this is it. A Golden Slipper winner by our current Champion sire Lonhro, trained by a great friend of Darley in the first lady of racing, Gai Waterhouse.The win underlines once more the enormity of the Woodlands Stud buy out following which Darley made a clean sweep of all two-year-old G1s last year and provided the Slipper winner this year by the Champion stallion Lonhro."

The sire of 32 Stakes winners including fellow G1 winners Beaded, Benfica and Denman, Lonhro will be represented by 22 yearlings at the forthcoming Inglis Easter yearling sale which will commence on Tuesday April 10.