Lonhro signalled his defence of the Australian sires crown is gaining momentum when Eight Till Late won the G3 Champion Fillies Stakes (1600m) at Ascot on Saturday.

Eight Till Late (3f Lonhro – Future Choice by Redoute’s Choice) bloused out a quality field with a last stride victory in Perth’s premier event for fillies.  She started a $41 long-shot after unplaced efforts at Belmont and Northam but trainer Shane Edwards was confident of a forward run despite the price.

“She’s shown a lot of ability at home,” Edwards said.  “She was climbing over the top of them coming to the corner and just needed a clear run.”

Edwards bought the winner for $45,000 as a foal at the 2009 Magic Millions National Sale.  She was offered by Glastonbury Farm and is from a half sister to the stakes winners Suavity and Akarana.

Edwards trains her for Singapore based Tang Weng Fei and local owner Kim Loxton

Eight Till Late is the 32nd stakes winner for champion Darley sire Lonhro who will shuttle to Kentucky for the first time in 2012.

The Perth victory was part of another successful day for Darley stallions in both hemispheres.

Earlier in the day, Commands sprinter Soul saluted in Listed company at Sandown.  He shouldered 59kgs to win the Kevin Heffernan Stakes by half-a-length.

Soul (4g Commands – Marvilha by Night Shift) is from a half-sister to Darley’s G1 winner Denman who is covering his second book of mares this spring.

Soul previously won the G2 Danehill Stakes at Flemington and is one of 43 stakes winners by Commands who stands for a $66,000 (inc gst) fee at Darley Kelvinside.

Darley stallions continued the winning run in France on Saturday when Manduro sired his first Group 1 winner.

Mandaean (2c Manduro – Summertime Legacy by Darshaan) is a homebred for Sheikh Mohammed and he easily landed the G1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud (2000m) second time out after a Longchamp victory on October 16.

He is trained by Andre Fabre and is from a mare who won the G3 Prix des Reservoirs at two and was placed in the G1 Prix Saint-Alary at three.

Manduro (Monsun) was also prepared by Fabre and he was a G1 winner of the Prix d’Ispahan, Prince of Wales’s Stakes and Prix Jacques le Marois in 2007.

Sheikh Mohammed stands him at Kildangan Stud in County Kildare.  He is the second Darley freshman to sire a Group 1 winner this year following Teofilo who claimed the Dewhurst Stakes with Parish Hall.

In North America on Saturday, Medaglia d’Oro was in the frame with G2 Mrs Revere Stakes winner Marketing Mix.  The Tom Proctor trained filly brushed aside her rivals with disdainful authority at Churchill Downs.

Marketing Mix (3f Medaglia d’Oro – Instant Thought by Kris S.) was a $150,000 buy for Glen Hill Farm at the 2009 Keeneland September yearling sale.  She has now earned over $538,00 from 4 wins in 9 starts including priors in the LR Wonder Where Stakes at Woodbine and G3 Pucker Up Stakes at Arlington Park.

Darley shuttles Medaglia d’Oro from Kentucky to its Kelvinside base for a $77,000 (inc gst) service fee.  So You Think’s dam Triassic was among his book of mares this spring.

Sheikh Mohammed purchased Medaglia d’Oro from Stonewall Farm shortly after his champion filly Rachel Alexander blitzed the 2009 Kentucky Oaks field by 20 lengths.

Last but not least, Bernardini colt Consortium looked a star of the future when won by next to five lengths on debut at Aqueduct on Saturday.

Consortium (2c Bernardini – Marietta by Machiavellian) broke alertly and settled comfortably before making a strong move on the home turn to score unchallenged.

“He’s done everything right and we have always liked him,” trainer Kiaran McLaughlin said.  “He’s trained really well all along and has a great mind.  It’s another nice win for Bernardini, he is a great sire.”

Bernardini (A.P. Indy) was campaigned by Darley to G1 victories in the Preakness, Travers and Jockey Club Gold Cup in 2006.  He is North America’s leading second-crop sire this year highlighted by Travers hero Stay Thirsty and G2 winner To Honor and Serve.

Consortium’s dam Marietta was a G3 winner of the Iowa Oaks and Arlington Oaks.  She has a yearling filly by A.P. Indy and was bred back to Bernardini.

His win came hot on the heels of Darley’s announcement that Bernardini’s stud fee will double to $150,000 in Kentucky next year.

Bernardini shuttles Darley Kelvinside for a fee of $38,500 (inc gst).  His first Australian bred winner arrived on October 22 when Meidung won at Rosehill.