Lonhro power

With Mental becoming the fifth G1 winner for his sire Lonhro, recording a stunning victory in the G1 Patinack Farm Classic, the Peter Snowden-trained four-year-old took his record to seven wins from 12 starts, highlighting the utter consistency that his sire injects into his runners.

As the Champion sire in 2010/11 and the Champion Two-year-old sire in 2011/12, Lonhro has sired three G1 winning colts so far; the Champion two-year-old Pierro, while the remaining two, Denman (pictured) and Benfica, are both standing this season at Darley’s Kelvinside property.

A winner of the G1 Golden Rose of his year in fast time, Denman is currently covering his third book of quality mares after two seasons of top class matrons.

The winner of three G1 races in three different states, Yosei is out of the Fuji Kiseki mare Fuji Fairy, who produced a yearling filly by Denman from his first year at stud, while G1 Queensland Oaks winner Miss Keepsake is out of the well-related Jacilo who is also the dam of a Denman yearling, this time a colt.

One of the leading mares of the 2011/12 racing season was the ill-fated Reset mare Pinker Pinker, winner of the prestigious G1 W.S. Cox Plate over 2040m at Moonee Valley. Miss Marion, Pinker Pinker’s dam produced a Denman colt, making the now yearling a valuable commodity come sale time, if that is where his breeders intend to take him.

With yearlings on the ground out of siblings to 16 individual G1 winners including AJC Derby winner Fiumicino, Dubai World Cup winner Monterosso, Australian Oaks winner Streama, Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner Arazi, Victorian Oaks winner Bulla Borghese, Australian Cup winner Pompeii Ruler, and the triple G1 winner Naturalism, to mention but a few, there is bound to be many keen yearlings buyers active at the sales when Denman’s first crop are offered.

In his second year at stud, Denman’s book from a quality perspective mirrored that of his first, covering the likes of Stakes winners Camino Rose, Belle Femme, Captivating, Faith Hill, Not Fussy, Techniques, as well as the dams of El Cambio, That’s The One, Shepishir, Marchinski, Pinwheel, Kiss Me Katy, Bianca Jewel, Screen, Hantu, and the Gai Waterhouse-trained G1 Australian Oaks winner Once Were Wild.

With his first two books of mares including 182 mares who were Group Or Listed winners, or dams, daughters or sister to Group or Listed winners, Denman’s career as a stallion has been given the best opportunity to succeed. Covering his third book of mares this season from his Kelvinside base, many keen breeders have once again shown their support for Denman, sending him many Stakes-winning and producing mares.

With his first-crop due to head to the yearling sales in 2013, breeding to Denman this year will make perfect sense as his stocks are sure to rise once his yearlings head through the sale rings, with buyers wanting to get their hands on the next generation of Lonhro.

While joining his barn-mate two years later, Benfica is also one to take note of. A G1-winning juvenile of the TJ Smith Stakes of his year, Benfica was in fact the first two-year-old G1 winner for his sire.

Due stand at Kelvinside alongside his sire and paternal half-brother, Benfica has the pedigree to match his racecourse ability and impressive looks.

Out of the G2-performing Danehill mare Hut, a half-sister to Dalquarren (herself the dam of G1 winner Neroil), Benfica is bred on a cross that has produced a further six Stakes winners for Lonhro - G2 winners Pinwheel and Obsequious, G3 winners Deer Valley and Eight Till Late, plus the Listed winners Minnesota Shark and Black Minx.

As the highest Timeform-rated colt by Lonhro of his crop, and the second highest rated two-year-old by the 11-time G1-winning sire to date behind Pierro, Benfica’s figure that year rated him the fifth highest two-year-old behind stable mates Sepoy and Helmet, rating the equal of Foxwedge, and significantly higher than the now four-time G1-winning filly Mosheen.

All in all, with Lonhro receiving overwhelming support at stud this season, breeders who want to tap into the G1-winning blood of his sons would do themselves no harm by sending a mare to either Denman ($33,000 inc. GST) or Benfica ($11,000 inc. GST) this year. For further information, please contact the Nominations team on +61 (0)2 6543 9000, or by clicking here.