Pierro leads Australian sires by mares bred in 2014

Australian champion Pierro was Australia’s most active stallion during the 2014 Southern Hemisphere breeding season, covering 220 mares in his second year at stud.

The 6-year-old son of Lonhro stood the season at Coolmore Australia, where he was advertised for a fee of about $60,217 ($77,000 Australian).

Pierro won 11 of 14 starts over two seasons of racing for earnings of $4,690,137, with 10 group stakes wins in Australia. His on-track resume was highlighted by wins in the Group 1 Golden Slipper, Inglis Sires’ Produce Stakes, Champagne Stakes, George Ryder Stakes, and Canterbury Stakes. Pierro was named Australia’s champion 2-year-old in 2012.

Bred in Australia by Darley, Pierro is out of the winning Daylami mare Miss Right Note, whose three foals to race are all winners. He is from the family of English Group 1 winner Markofdistinction, French Group 1 winner Laverock, and Group 2 winner Flying Cloud.

Rounding out the top 10 most active Australian sires of 2014 were Snitzel (214 mares bred); I Am Invincible (211); Smart Missile (210); Sebring (192); Fastnet Rock (189); Fiorente (186); Zoustar (185); Love Conquers All (181); and Denman (180).

Denman, along with his sire Lonhro, previously shuttled to Darley’s U.S. base at Jonabell Farm in Lexington, Ky., though both will remain in Australia for 2015.