Darley mourns ‘the people’s champion’ as Lonhro dies at the age of 25

Lonhro, the stunning black horse who earned the admiration of a legion of fans with his racing deeds before embarking on a long and successful career at stud, has died.

Retired from stud duties after the 2022 Australian breeding season, Lonhro was 25 years old.

Godolphin Australia, which had stood Lonhro on Sheikh Mohammed’s Darley roster since 2008, announced the stallion’s death on Friday.

“They say that a stallion is the soul of a stud. That certainly applies to Lonhro. He was a horse that lifted your heart,” Darley Australia’s head of stallions, Alastair Pulford said.

“He rewarded so many of the people who supported him. His sons and daughters will ensure his name lives on, and his bloodline will remain sought after for generations.”

Lonhro leaves a legacy that spans two influential eras in the Australian breeding industry.

A son of Octagonal, Lonhro was foaled at Woodlands Stud in December 1998 and categorised as brown in colour, but he quickly became known as a black colt of some ability. He rose to fame on the racetrack in the famous cerise silks of Bob and Jack Ingham.

He stood his first three seasons at stud under the Woodlands banner until Bob Ingham sold his vast bloodstock empire to Sheikh Mohammed.

Lonhro came as part of the mega-deal and remained a Darley stallion until his retirement.

“He has been an incredibly important part of this stud, demonstrated by Sheikh Mohammed and Godolphin’s amazing success with him, campaigning over 51 of his 97 stakes winners,” Pulford said.

Trained by John Hawkes, Lonhro raced 35 times and collected 11 Group 1 triumphs among 26 victories for almost $5.8 million in earnings.

His record included wins in Caulfield Guineas, Queen Elizabeth Stakes, Mackinnon Stakes, Chipping Norton Stakes, Caulfield Stakes (twice), George Ryder Stakes, the CF Orr Stakes, the Chipping Norton Stakes and the George Main Stakes.

But his most stunning performance came when he turned almost certain defeat into victory in the 2004 Australian Cup at Flemington under champion jockey Darren Beadman.

“People still approach me (today) to discuss the Australian Cup, it’s a testament to how he captured so many people’s imagination, which speaks volumes about his career,” Beadman said.

“It’s a very, very sad day, but we must reflect on what he has achieved.

“He will be a horse that everyone talks about for generations to come, remembered not just for his victories on the track but also for being the people’s horse.

“From his early days as a two-year-old right through the Queen Elizabeth Stakes, he raced every race giving 110 per cent, every time he went around. That’s all you can ask of him.”

“For five or six years, those who got to witness his expertise on the track could then see him excel in the breeding barn, being as consistent and influential as he was. He’s ticked every box; not many horses have that resume.”

At stud, Lonhro has sired 1,040 individual winners including 97 stakeswinners of 195 black-type races.

His Group 1-winning progeny include Lindermann, Impending, Kementari, Pierro, Lyre, Aristia, Beaded, Bounding, Benfica, Denman, Exosphere, Mental and The Conglomerate. 

Lonhro was crowned champion sire and leading Australian sire of winning three-year-olds in 2010-11, the top Australian sire of two-year-olds in 2011-12 and the leading Australian sire of winners in 2013-14 and 2014-15.

He shuttled to the United States between 2012 and 2014.

Lonhro is also a sire of sires with Pierro, Impending, Denman, Encryption and Exosphere leaving their mark at stud.

His influence as a broodmare sire is equally impressive with his daughters producing 101 Group-winning horses.