Pierro all heart in Hobartville Stakes

Resuming off an 18 week spell since the G1 Cox Plate in October, Lonhro champion Pierro produced a gutsy effort to win the G2 Hobartville Stakes (1400m) at Rosehill on Saturday.

Racing without blinkers, the Gai Waterhouse-trained colt settled wide in fourth position and, once the field balanced up in the heavy going, he knuckling down to defeat Rebel Dane by a short head.

Pierro (3c Lonhro – Miss Right Note by Daylami) was named Australia’s Champion 2YO Colt after winning the Triple Crown in 2011-12.  He carried an undefeated 8 race winning streak into the Caulfield Guineas as a spring 3YO but was beaten by All Too Hard.

The Patinack colt beat him again in the Cox Plate but they were both in arrears of Kiwi champion Ocean Park at Moonee Valley.  “He was at his most vulnerable first-up without blinkers,” trainer Gai Waterhouse said.  “The George Ryder and the Doncaster are among our options now.”

Bred by Darley, Pierro is out of Miss Right Note, a half-sister to Octagonal’s French G1 winner Laverock.  The mare foaled a sister to Pierro in 2011 before producing a Street Cry filly in 2012.  She returned to Lonhro in the latest breeding season.

Pierro was a $115,000 buy for Musk Creek Farm owner David Kobritz as a foal before going under the hammer again for $230,000 at the 2011 Magic Millions.  Waterhouse bought him at the Gold Coast for stable clients Greg and Donna Kolivos

He is one of 36 stakes winners by Lonhro.  So is Launay who recorded his second black-type victory earlier in the day at Flemington.  Lonhro has 8 yearlings at the Inglis Melbourne Premier Sale and a further 24 yearlings catalogued for the Inglis Easter Sale in April.