Denman posted an impressive length and three-quarters victory in the G1 Tooheys New Golden Rose at Rosehill on Saturday to become Lonhro's first winner at the highest level.
With his dark brown coat conjuring memories of both his sire and his grandsire Octagonal, Denman found an extra gear when asked to quicken under Sheikh Mohammed’s stable jockey Kerrin McEvoy to record his fifth consecutive victory, the sequence including the G3 Run To The Rose at his last start.
The win was clearly an emotional one for trainer Peter Snowden, who was foreman to John Hawkes in the days of Octagonal and Lonhro. He said: “I was frighteningly confident. I’ve been waking up at 2am all week just waiting for the alarm to go off. There’s still more to come from him – he’s a seriously talented horse.”
Bred by Woodlands Stud, three-year-old Denman is the second Group One winner for his dam Peach (Vain), who has also produced VRC Sires’ Produce Stakes winner Preserve and Listed winner Rio Osa, both daughters of Canny Lad.
Lonhro, who stands for Darley at Kelvinside, NSW, for $33,000 (inc GST), is also sire of Group Three winner Deer Valley and the Listed winners Minnesota Shark, Black Minx and Custard.
Commands enjoyed a Stakes race double on Saturday with rejuvenated sprinter Friday Creek returning to form in style to land the G3 Concorde Stakes, also at Rosehill. Earlier in the day, his paternal half-brother First Command had taken out the Listed Clamms Seafood Stakes over 1100m at Caulfield.
Bred by P Wilson and L Harvey, seven-year-old Friday Creek is out of the Al Hareb mare Candles, while First Command is a graduate of Gerry Harvey's Barramul Stud in the Hunter Valley.
