The pin-up horse of Australian racing - 11 time Group One winner Lonhro (Octagonal-Shadea, by Straight Strike)- retired last year to his NSW birthplace, Woodlands Stud, with the deserved title of "the champion of his generation". He left behind his legion of race fans - fans who had made many a race club smile as they turned out in their thousands to watch Lonhro run. The stallion instead assumed a new burden - the hopes of a multitude of breeders who dreamed of 'next generation' glory thus ensuring the 'book full' status was on display almost before it was opened.

Like Father, like son. Like Octagonal, Lonhro was extraordinarily successful on the track. A Group 3 winning 2YO, every race Lonhro contested as a 3YO, 4YO and 5YO was a stakes race (14 at Group One level). As stated on the Woodlands website "Weight-for-age competition is generally considered to represent racing's highest order, especially when conducted at Group One level. Lonhro demonstrated most emphatically that he was a true weight-for-age champion". Winner of 11 Group One and over $5.78 million in prize money Lonhro was voted champion 3YO Middle Distance horse in 2001/02 after defeating Sunline at Group One level in race record time. He was also voted NSW Horse of the Year and Australian Champion Racehorse of the Year in 2003/4.

A horse of Lonhro's calibre needs little assistance in marketing himself (Peter V'Landy's went as far as saying "Horses like Lonhro only come along once in a 'blue moon'") but nevertheless 'The Black Flash' added another string to his bow overnight by being named the world's equal best Older Miler on turf in 2004 at The World Rankings in London. Lonhro earned a 123 rating when winning the Gr1 George Ryder Stakes (which also placed him joint 9th highest-rated horse in the world last year).