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Pierro hits the right note

| August 18, 2013

PierroPIERRO’S world class athletic excellence on the Australian racecourses, a 14 start career over 19 months that added up to 11 wins, five Group1s and over $4.5million, suggests what happened before in his breeding is of little consequence, but the history is so rich, that it embellishes further his potential to be a giant among sires.

Paternally, little needs to be said other than this Coolmore Stud newcomer is a typical striking looking son of one of Australia’s greatest racehorses and emerging supersires, Lonhro (26 wins,11 Group1s, brilliantly versatile). Challenging as the ideal vehicle for the Danehill dominance, Lonhro is by another Australian Horse of the Year in Octagonal (14 wins, 10 Group1s) and the next two sires, Zabeel and Sir Tristram (by Sir Ivor, the sire of the third dam of Redoute’s Choice), are two of the greatest in southern hemisphere history.

Maternally, the Darley bred Pierro is from Miss Right Note, an Ireland bred winner to 1600m in France and Sydney by Daylami, a grey son of the Mill Reef sire Doyoun who, racing for his breeder the Aga Khan, at two and three, won his first four starts, all at 1600m and including the French Two Thousand Guineas. Sold to Sheikh Mohammed, he went on to be considered a World Champion at 2000m-2400m, earning a Timeform of 138. He stood at stud in the joint ownership of the Aga Khan and Darley.

Bred, conversely, a lot like High Chaparral (by Sadler’s Wells and from a daughter the Mill Reef grandson Darshaan), Miss Right Note is a half-sister to Laverock, a France bred son of Sir Tristram who won Group1 races in France and Italy. They are from Sky Song, a Sadler’s Wells daughter of Cricquette, a Shirley Heights Stakes winning half-sister to Markofdistinction, Europe’s Champion Older Horse 1990.

Their dam Ghislaine (by the Nearctic sire Icecapade) was from Cambretta, a million dollar purchase for Sheikh Mohammed at American mare sales. She was a sister by At Talaq’s sire Roberto to Critique, a champion French 2-year-old and a good older performer in England, and a half-sister to Rose of Jericho, producer of four Group1 performers  and sires, including Dr Devious (by Ahonoora, won English Derby, second Irish Derby), Shinko King (IIRE (Fairy King; Japanese star) and Archway (IRE) Thatching; Champion Sprinter Ireland).

Runners got by Shinko King from visits to New Zealand included New Zealand Derby winner C’ Est la Guerre and progeny of Archway sired in Australia included Grand Archway (won AJC Australian Oaks, VRC Oaks), Roman Arch (VRC Australian Cup, MRC Toorak Handicap), Rose Archway (AJC Australian Oaks, Tails of Triomphe (South Australian Derby) and She’s Archie (South Australian Oaks; second Melbourne Cup).

Two much more recent descendants of the Rose of Jericho branch of the family have been her grandaughter Dancing Rain (a Danehill champion 3-year-old filly in Great Britain in 2011) and Maybe (Galileo; unbeaten champion European 2-year-old filly the same year; third last year in English Two Thousand Guineas).

Also in 2011, Maybe’s dam, the Danehill Listed winner Sumora, sold at England mare sales for 2,400,000 guineas.

Cambretta’s dam Cambrienne was a winning half-sister to five stakes winners, including Avaray (FR) (good performer France; sire New Zealand) and Carlemont (sire America), and from the 2×3 Tourbillon inbred Torbella (Group1 winner at two, second Irish Oaks), also a close relation of Cambremont (won French Two Thousand Guineas; sire), Bon Mot (won Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, second French Derby; sire) and Tennyson (won Grand Prix de Paris, second French Derby; sire).

The next dam was the very respected Djebellica, an Irish Oaks winning daughter of Djebel, grandsire of champion Australian sire Better Boy (IRE).

Although the family of Pierro, a colt inbred 4×5 to both Mr. Prospector and Mill Reef, has constantly thrown upm good horses, he, deservedly, lays claim to being the best of them. In the Gai Waterhouse stables, he included in his performance all his first eight outings, all stakes events and the first , the Breeders’ Plate, Silver Slipper, Todman, Golden Slipper, Sires’  Produce Stakes and, first up at three, the Run to the Rose.

His other efforts at three were wins in the MVRC Stutt Stakes, STC Canterbury Stakes and Hobartville Stakes, seconds in the MRC Caulfield Guineas and ATC Doncaster and a third in the MVRC Cox Plate.

Pierro is booked to stand at Coolmore in the Hunter Valley next season on $77,000, including GST, and it is predictable that he will have more than 150 mares.

It won’t surprising, also, if he joins the increasing armada of leading Australian horses being used overseas in the northern hemisphere seasons. His sire Lonhro is one of these.

Article written by Brian Russell

 

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