There’s been a quiet changing of the guard at the top of the Australian General Sires List in the past week as Golden Slipper winner Pierro moved past his Coolmore peers Rubick and Declaration of War (USA) to take the top spot as we head into the Christmas holiday.
Pierro has had a fabulous start to the season leading the list by earnings, stakes-winners (7) and also has the best winner to runner strike rate of all sires in the Top 10 of 41.7%.
An undefeated champion at two that was equally good at three, Pierro was an amazing racehorse lest we have forgotten, that won 11 of 14 starts and placed in the other three.
Not afraid to take on the best, he was third in a Cox Plate and second in a Doncaster, showing an inherent toughness and unwavering courage that is missing from the resume of so many of his stallion peers.
I will confess here, I’ve loved Pierro from day dot and it's been satisfying to to see him succeed the way he has with his diverse pedigree which leans to the staying side despite his race record which shows him as a horse that won from 1000m to 1600m.
That contradiction between pedigree and performance is no doubt what has given him an edge as superior classic sire when they are few and far between.
There’s still eight months of the season to go but it will be no surprise to anyone if Pierro is still there at the top of the pile come the end of July, emulating the achievement of his charismatic sire Lonhro, who took Champion Australian Sire honours in 2010- 2011.
