Fifth G1 victory for Champion colt

Exactly 12 months after recording his first G1 victory when successful in the Golden Slipper, three-year-old Lonhro colt Pierro recorded his fifth win at the elite level when winning the G1 George Ryder Stakes over 1500m at Rosehill on 6 March.

The victory of Pierro gave the Darley stallions victories in three consecutive G1 races on Australia’s richest race day after Commands mare Appearance took the G1 Queen of the Turf and Exceed And Excel sired the quinella in the G1 Golden Slipper with Overreach and Sidestep.

In what many may consider one of the toughest fields he has contested to date, the last Golden Slipper winner to return to win the George Ryder was the Champion Manikato back in 1980. Won by some outstanding gallopers in the past including Champion three-year-olds Weekend Hussler and Haradasun, Pierro’s sire Lonhro was also successful in the race on two occasions.

Set to head to the G1 Doncaster Handicap over the famed Randwick 1600m at his next start, a victory in that race could give the Gai Waterhouse-trained colt Champion three-year-old honours to go with his two-year-old title.

Bred by Darley, Pierro is out of the Irish-bred Daylami mare Miss Right Note, a half-sister to Octagonal's G1 winner Laverock. Miss Right Note has a grey yearling filly by Lonhro, a Street Cry filly weanling and was covered by Lonhro once again in the latest breeding season.

As the sire of 38 Stakes winnings including G1 winners Mental, Beaded and Darley stallions Benfica and Denman, Lonhro will be represented at the forthcoming Inglis Easter yearling sale by 20 lots, including colts out of the G1-winning mares Ancient Song (lot 10), Bonanova (lot 31), Emerald Dream (lot 90) and the Champion, three-time Melbourne Cup heroine Makybe Diva (lot 190).