Pierro takes top honours at HTBA Awards

After a stellar juvenile season that saw Lonhro colt Pierro remain unbeaten in six starts, all at Stakes level, culminating in victory in the two-year-old Triple Crown, it was no surprise to see the impressive colt awarded Champion Racehorse at the Hunter Thoroughbred Breeders Association (HTBA) awards night on May 16.

Also taking the award for Champion two-year-old, Pierro joins last year’s winner in that category Helmet (Exceed And Excel), giving the Darley stallions back-to-back victories in that category.

Becoming only the fourth colt in history to win the two-year-old Triple Crown, and the second since Baguette in 1970 to win undefeated, Pierro has assured himself the Champion two-year-old title this season when the awards are announced later this year.

Bred by Darley, Pierro is out of the Daylami mare Miss Right Note, who also foaled a full-sister to Pierro in 2011 before being covered by Street Cry during the last breeding season.

The title of Champion Broodmare was awarded to the Gerry Harvey owned Samar, the dam of this season’s G1 Blue Diamond winner Samaready, who was incidentally awarded the Champion two-year-old filly title. The sire of two Stakes winners to date, Samar was covered in the latest breeding season by Exceed And Excel, while Lady Remlap, the dam of Champion three-year-old colt Manawanui, was also bred to Exceed And Excel after producing a colt by Darley’s Victorian-based sire Domesday the season prior.

Lonhro and Street Cry will stand the forthcoming breeding season at Kelvinside for a fee of $110,000 (inc. GST), while Exceed And Excel will stand alongside that duo at a fee of $66,000 (inc. GST). Domesday will stand at Darley's Victorian property Northwood Park at a fee of $22,000 (inc GST).