Darley champion Lonhro could have clinched another sires’ title when his mare Jerezana won the LR Ramornie Hcp at Grafton on Wednesday.

Lonhro is already a runaway winner of the Australian sires’ premiership for 2010-11 with $8.49 million in prizemoney.  He is well clear of reigning champion Redoute’s Choice ($7.21 million) in what will surely be the first of several titles.

Lonhro also leap-frogged Redoute’s Choice and Encosta de Lago in the stakes winners’ category when Jerezana pushed through a gap to win the Ramornie running away.  

He joined the other two on top of the table with 13 individual winners but his progeny have won 19 stakes races which puts him well ahead of Redoute’s (16) and Encosta (16).

Jerezana (4m Lonhro – Saddler’s Silk by Barathea) unleashed her trademark sprint in the straight despite the slow early pace to beat Falco Star (Falvelon) and Motspur (Flying Spur) by a length.

Trainer Peter Snowden watched the Ramornie from Warwick Farm and was thrilled to win it for the second year in a row after Lonhro gelding Pinwheel scored in 2010.   “It’s a great race and to win it again gives me a big buzz,” he said.  “She needs to be saved for one short, sharp burst and everything went perfect.”

Jerezana was bred by Woodlands Stud and is out of a G1 performed mare who has a weanling by champion sprinter Exceed And Excel on the ground and is currently carrying a full relation to Jerezana.

Lonhro is in the mix for another feature in the LR Grafton Cup on Thursday with his last start Sandown winner Summarise.  The Stephen Theodore trained gelding comes from the same crop as Jerezana.

Lonhro joins Danehill and Sir Tristram as stallions who were crowned Champion Australian Sire just seven years after retiring to stud.  He will stand the forthcoming season at Darley Kelvinside at a fee of $77,000 (inc gst).