Champion
Australian sire Lonhro made his presence felt in the US last week when his
promising son Gronkowski finished second to Justify in the Group I Belmont
Stakes and he may well make an impact at Royal Ascot with his smart sprinting
son Cardsharp, a winner overnight of the Listed Cathedral Stakes at Salisbury.
The Mark Johnston trained colt won the Group II Newmarket July Stakes last
season at two, but has taken a few runs this year to find his best form.
He scored an easy two and a half length win in the six furlong sprint taking
his overall record to five wins and four placings from 14 starts and is entered
for the Group I Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot.
Bred by Godolphin and raced by Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum, Cardsharp
is the best of four winners from Pure Illusion, a Danehill daughter of Group
III winner Saintly Speech.
Lonhro stands at a fee of $55,000 this spring at Darley, who also stand his
Group I winning sons Exosphere ($22,000), Denman ($8,800) and Impending
($22,000).