Championship honours

Held on the evening of Sunday, September 16 at a black tie event in Melbourne, the annual Australian Horse of the Year Awards presented Championship titles to two Darley-bred and sired stars of the turf.

After an unbeaten run to date, having won seven-from-seven, Lonhro colt Pierro was awarded the Champion Two-Year-Old title after a season which saw him capture the juvenile Triple Crown of the G1 Golden Slipper, Sires’ Produce Stakes and the Champagne Stakes.

Resuming recently for his three-year-old season in the G3 Run To The Rose, where he was once again too good for his opposition, trainer Gai Waterhouse indicated the colt will next start in the G2 Bill Stutt Stakes at Moonee Valley on September 28. Showing the strength of the form from the Run to the Rose, the third-placed Epaulette came out on Saturday to give his sire Commands his seventh G1 victory, taking out the G1 Golden Rose.

After claiming the Champion Two-Year-Old award the year prior, Elusive Quality’s four-time G1-winning son Sepoy (pictured) claimed the Champion Three-Year-Old colt award, defeating fellow Darley stallion, the three-time G1-winning son of Exceed And Excel in Helmet.

Winning two races at the elite level during his classic season, the G1 Manikato Stakes where he defeated older horses including eight-time G1 winner More Joyous, before he went on to compete against his own age group to claim the G1 Coolmore Stud Stakes over Foxwedge, Sepoy went undefeated in his autumn three-year-old campaign going five-for five, all at Stakes level.

Standing the current season at Darley’s Kelvinside property, Lonhro will stand at a fee of $110,000 (inc. GST) and Sepoy will cover his first book of mares at a fee of $66,000 (inc. GST), while Helmet will be based at Darley’s Victorian property, Northwood Park at a fee of $33,000 (inc. GST).