Pierro
Pierro has a diverse pedigree, carrying multiple representatives of several important families. A review of his stakes winners to-date reveals some marked preferences.
Free of DANEHILL, Pierro is an obvious choice for mares from this prolific sire line. In particular, Pierro has worked beautifully with daughters of REDOUTE’S CHOICE, producing seven of his 16 stakes winners to-date on this cross, including two of his four Group 1 winners. Other sons of Danehill to have produced stakes performers with Pierro include FLYING SPUR (damsire of Pierata), EXCEED AND EXCEL, ROCK OF GIBRALTAR, DANEHILL DANCER, LION HUNTER and FASTNET ROCK.
Pierro's grandsire Octagonal is a son of EIGHT CARAT. She is also close up on the tail female lines of non-Sir Tristram line damsires such as COMMANDS, DANEWIN, VISCOUNT, KREISLER and KEMPINSKY. Creating line breeding to EIGHT CARAT is a desirable pattern. This year’s Widden Stakes winner Amercement is just one example, being bred on a Lonhro / Commands cross.
Over the generations, STAR KINGDOM has worked very well with elements in Pierro's pedigree including Lonhro, Mr. Prospector and Northern Dancer. Eight of Lonhro's twelve Group 1 winners carry Star Kingdom through their dams. The chief sources of Star Kingdom today include CANNY LAD (damsire of REDOUTE’S CHOICE – see above compatibility), MARSCAY, BISCAY, BLETCHINGLY, LUSKIN STAR, COVETOUS and TODMAN.
The presence of Mr. Prospector 4m x 5m suggests that Pierro can also work well with STORM CAT line mares. TALE OF THE CAT, SCAT DADDY, JOHANNESBURG, HENNY HUGHES, SHAMARDAL, VAN NISTELROOY and GIANT’S CAUSEWAY are some of the damsires from this influential line.
Mares by Mr Prospector’s grandsons ELUSIVE QUALITY and SECRET SAVINGS have produced stakes performers by Pierro, indicating a tolerance of more Mr Prospector.
Sadler's Wells (second damsire of Pierro), Nureyev and Val De Loir (both present in Zabeel) are all from the ROUGH SHOD family. NORTHERN METEOR, ENCOSTA DELAGO, THATCHING and his sire THATCH, TATE GALLERY, FAIRY KING and GEIGER COUNTER are other members to reinforce this line.
Pierro’s Group 1 VRC Oaks winner Pinot is out of a daughter of ZABEEL, creating a 4 x 2 cross of this stamina influence and boosting the ROUGH SHOD family (above), while Group 1 winner Pierata also carries more Zabeel as sire of his second dam.
Sex balancing SADLER'S WELLS (who appears through a daughter in Pierro) by using mares by sons of Sadler's Wells, is also an appealing pattern. Mares by such sires as HIGH CHAPARRAL, SCENIC, BARATHEA, CARNEGIE, GALILEO and MONTJEU will result in a 4f x 3m duplication of this influential patriarch. Galileo looks especially interesting, as he is bred on a reverse Sadler's Wells / Miswaki cross to Pierro's dam, Miss Right Note.
The presence of half-brothers Bold Reason (through a daughter) and Never Bend (three lines) invites further reinforcement of this important line. SNIPPETS carries close relation GRAND CHAUDIERE. A son of Bold Reason, SOUND REASON, is also desirable to sex balance the daughter in Pierro.
SNITZEL mares carry both Redoute’s Choice and Snippets for Pierro.