PIERRO TOPS COOLMORE by Bernard Kenny

Superstar racehorse now stallion Pierro

PIERRO TOPS COOLMORE                                                             by Bernard Kenny, Correspondent

Coolmore’s former Champion 2YO and Leading 3YO Colt Pierro had stepped further up the ladder of success on becoming Leading First Season Sire of 2016-17 with 8 winners, 1 stakes winner, 1 stakes placegetter and earnings of over $860,000.

The filly Tulip was Pierro’s best performer in winning the Magic Night Stakes, finishing second in the Blue Diamond Prelude Fillies, third in Golden Slipper Stakes and fourth in Blue Diamond Stakes. The stakes placed Pierata was a Randwick winner and third in the Sires’ Produce Stakes at Eagle Farm.

Trainer David Hayes purchased Tulip’s full-brother for $500,000 at this year’s Australian Easter Yearling Sale. This was Pierro’s top price of an outstanding second crop with 13 yearlings selling from $300,000 and $500,000.

A son of the champion sire Lonhro, Pierro was rated the World’s Best 3yo Sprinter in 2013 with a 122 World Thoroughbred Ranking. A winner of five races up to 1600m including the Canterbury Stakes and George Ryder Stakes, Pierro finished second in the Doncaster Mile and Caulfield Guineas.

Pierro was the highest rated 2yo in 35 years in winning the Sydney 2YO Triple Crown of the Golden Slipper Stakes, ATC Sires’ Produce Stakes in record time and the Champagne Stakes.

The 10 times Group 1 winner So You Think finished a highly credible second placing on the Leading Second Season Sires of 2016-17 with his top-line colt Inference winning the Randwick Guineas, second in Rosehill Guineas and third in Victoria Derby.

Also this season La Diosa Belle won the NZ 1000 Guineas, Surround Stakes, Canterbury Belle Stakes and John Grigg Stakes. So Si Bon was a 1200m winner and ran third in Rosehill Guineas and Moonee Valley Vase and fourth in Victoria Derby. So You Too, Kaching, Smart As You Think, I Thought So, and The Pinnacle were stakes placed winners.

This year 13 yearlings by So You Think sold upwards of $200,000 with George Moore Bloodstock, Hong Kong paying the top price of $575,000 for the Soho Secret colt, and $320,000 for the Gladwell colt at the Australian Easter Yearling Sale.

The duel Champion Australian Sire Fastnet Rock continues his dominance of Australian racing with his Dazzling Gazelle filly selling for $1.2m and the Fleur De’here filly for $1.25m at auction this year.

Awesome Rock was his season’s star in winning the Emirates Stakes and Dato Tan Chin Nam Stakes while Catchy won the Blue Diamond Stakes and Blue Diamond Prelude Fillies. In the northern hemisphere over the past year Zhukova won the Man O’War Stakes, Rivet the Racing Post Trophy and Champagne Stakes and Intricately the Moyglare Stud Stakes.

The ‘one-eyed king’ Choisir has sired four individual Group 1 winners in the past year with The Mission winning the Champagne Stakes at Randwick, Divine Prophet the Caulfield Guineas, Obviously the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint and The Last Lion the Middle Park Stakes.

The brilliant International sprinter Starbangledbanner continued his remarkable career by siring four European stakes winners in the past year. Home Of The Brave added the Criterion Stales to his John of Gaunt Stakes and three stakes victories, Spangled the Sceptre Stakes, Sliver Rainbow the Prix du Cercle, Meliora the Grand Prix de Fontainebleau and Last Gift the Premio Carlo Chiesa.

Coolmore boasts that the US Triple Crown champion American Pharoah and European Champion 2YO Colt Air Force Blue will be standing in the Hunter Valley this year. Alongside them will be second season sires Vancouver, No Nay Never and Pride of Dubai plus third season sires Adelaide and Rubick.

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