Australia’s reigning champion sire Lonhro will shuttle to Darley’s stallion farm at Jonabell in Kentucky for the 2012 breeding season.

Sheikh Mohammed’s bloodstock advisor John Ferguson put the move into perspective.  “Lonhro is a rare thoroughbred – a Horse of the Year on the racetrack and then a Champion sire.   He is among the most talented horses to have graced the Australian turf in living memory and will bring to America the soundness and toughness for which Australian horses are known.  As a stallion, his rise has been meteoric.”

Lonhro was a Group-winning juvenile, a G1 winner at three and went on to be one of the greatest older horses Australia has ever seen.  Lonhro’s 11 Group 1 victories came at ages three, four and five, and ranged from 1400m to five wins at a 2000m.

Lonhro (Octagonal) became Australia’s Champion sire for the first time this year after having only four crops to race.  To achieve this he defeated international sires Galileo and Redoute’s Choice, and fellow Darley stallions Street Cry and Elusive Quality.  He has already sired G1 winners Beaded, Benfica and Denman, who now also stands alongside Lonhro at Darley in Australia.

“Lonhro is coming in at the top of his game,” Ferguson added.  “He’s young.  He’s fresh.  He’s already proved he’s a stallion of influence.  He stamps his stock.  And he’s a great looking horse.  Lonhro has totally rewarded our faith in the southern hemisphere and we believe he will be perfect for mares in the northern hemisphere and a real asset to breeders.”  

His northern hemisphere fee will be set at a later date.