Former champion racehorse and Darley based stallion Lonhro has gone to a new level as a sire this season producing a new Group winner on each of the last three Saturdays with progressive four year-old O’Lonhro taking out the Group 2 Chelmsford Stakes at Randwick on Saturday.

   The victory by O’Lonhro follows hot in the hoof prints of Denman in the Group I Golden Rose and Deer Valley in the Group 3 Silve Shadow Stakes.  And just for good measure Lonhro had a double on the Randwick card with Serenissima (ex Santissima by Quest for Fame) winning the McGrath Estate Agents Hcp (1100m).
 
   O’Lonhro now heads to the Group I Epsom Handicap at the course as a leading contender after his off the canvas performance in the Group Two mile feature on Saturday.

   An exceptionally talented four-year-old, O’Lonhro was sent out as the punters elect and he showed his versatility to settle on the speed and give a kick and record a highly impressive three-quarter length victory.

  In winning, the lightly raced galloper stopped the clock in 1-34.5, a new race record.  Co-trainer Michael Hawkes was impressed with the performance and spoke to Richard Callander from TVN.

   “He’s very promising,” Hawkes said. “He dug deep today… to his credit.”

   “And Jay rode the horse perfect,” he added. “It was great.”

   “He eased him out and then on top of the rise when Triple Honour came at him he really dug deep like good horses do and hopefully we’ve got one.”

  Hawkes said one of the best things about O’Lonhro was very versatility. Despite starting for just the fifth time, he was proving to be a professional and adaptable performer.

   “He can be up, back, wherever in the field,” Hawkes stated. “Today was his test and he’s come through it great.”

  Rider Jay Ford was particularly pleased with how O’Lonhro responded when he noticed Group One winner Triple Honour coming up along his outside.

   “He really put the writing on the wall the other day in the Warwick Stakes,” Ford said.

   “He’s loaded with ability. That’s probably not the way to ride him, but given the pace of the race that’s where we ended up.”

  “I was fairly confident a long way out,” Ford told TVN.

   “He’s still learning. It was only his fifth start today. When they came up to me he just hit another gear and away he went.”

   O’Lonhro defeated Miss Marielle (Encosta de Lago - Miss Vandal by Don’t Say Halo) with the Group I 2008 Doncaster Handicap winner Triple Honour (Honours List - Myrrh by Nassipour) in third, a nose further away.

   O’Lonhro was purchased for $220,000 from the draft of Woodlands Stud at the 2007 Magic Millions Yearling Sale at the Gold Coast by trainer Toby Edmonds.  His breeder Ray Gall retained a share.   The brown horse, eventually found his way to the stable of John Hawkes who trained his sire Lonhro.

  Lonhro won back-to-back runnings of the Group 2 Chelmsford Stakes in 2002 and 2003 when trained by Hawkes.   His son is out of the Group 2 winning Zoffany mare, Mamzelle Pedrille, the winner of 11 races, with seven of those victories in black type company. 

  O’Lonhro is the first stakes-winner produced by Mamzelle Pedrille, who is a full sister to Damzelle Pedrille, the dam of last Saturday’s STC Listed Triscay Stakes winner, Madame Pedrille (by Secret Savings).
 
  O’Lonhro is the third stakes-winner this season for Lonhro and his sixth overall, the son of Octagonal and Shadea (by Straight Strike) has a full book this spring at Darley where he is covering mares on a fee of $33,000 (inc gst).

• Bloodhound pedigree O’Lonhro

Permalink| Sep 6, 2009

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