Currently sitting in 5th position on the Sires Table in 2013 and a permanent fixture in the Top 10 Sires every season,
ENCOSTA DE LAGO (Fairy King-Shoal Creek, by Star Way) is Coolmore Studs multiple times Champion Australian Sire and arguably, the best valued stallion in Australasia.
Encosta De Lago
Officially rated as the
“BEST AUSTRALIAN BRED SIRE – EVER” he added another Group race success to his resume under the guidance of Champion Trainer Chris Waller, when talented gelding
Riva de Lago (6g Encosta de Lago x Ashenti, by Ashkalani) who has been thereabouts in a number of good stakes races since the start of 2013, finally broke through to capture the ATC Sebring Stakes (Theo Marks S.) a Gr2 event over 1400m at Rosehill.
Chris Waller has a natural affinity with the Encosta De Lago breed and has the knack of getting the best out of the sire’s progeny.
This result gave Encosta De Lago his
95th Stakes Winner after he had added his
94th stakes winner a few weeks earlier when
Qushchi (5m Encosta De Lago x La Persiana) scored over 2000m.
Having his second run back from a spell, the Chris Waller trained six year-old Riva De Lago charged to the line for in form hoop Jim Cassidy, to win the 1400 metre feature by a dominant two and a half lengths.
“He was in his right race today,” Waller said. “He’s nominated for the Epsom and the way he raced today, he looks like he’ll run a mile, so he deserves his chance.”
Appreciative of the good pace set up by Rain Affair (by Commands), Riva De Lago made a strong run down the centre of the track, proving too strong for the Group One winner Solzhenitsyn (St Petersburg) and Your Honour (Niello).
Jockey Jim Cassidy was taken with the style of Riva De Lago’s victory. “That was a good win,” he said, adding that it was “game over” from the 600m.
Assured of a run in the Epsom because winning the Sebring Stakes (Theo Marks) provides an exemption from ballot, Riva De Lago will be given his chance in the big Gr1 mile.
With the way he dominated this field, there is every possibility Riva De Lago could become the sire’s 21st Group 1 Winner.
Riva De Lago was retained to race by his breeder Gerry Harvey in partnership with Franco Ferrari and has the overall record of seven wins and eight placings from 27 starts with prizemoney of $528,830.
He is the first foal of Gr2 placed Ashenti (by Ashkalani). The dam is a ½ sister to Gr1 winner Not Related. Ashenti is due to foal again to Encosta De Lago again this spring.
Encosta De Lago stands at a modest fee for a Top Shelf sire of just $55,000 this year.
QUSHCHI wins the Waya Stakes at Saratoga -
ENCOSTA's 94th Stakes Winner
A few weeks earlier,
Qushchi (5m Encosta de Lago x La Persiana, by Daylami) scored her first Black Type success when taking out the $100,000 Waya Stakes over 2000m at Saratoga. Qushchi is the best of three winners from stakes-winning Daylami mare La Persiana, a half-sister to Gr1 winner and former leading sire Grand Lodge.
Dynamic Syndications have just completed the syndications with Chris Waller of a Encosta De Lago / Pretty Flamingo 2yo filly from one of the most valuable families in the stud book.
Dynamic Syndications are just about to launch our final horse for syndication in 2013, another sensationally bred 2yo filly again by Encosta De Lago, this time from the mare Fusaichi Rose. The dam has had 2 to race, both winners including the stakes performed winner of 4 races Main Dane. Importantly the dam is a 1/2 sister to Australasian Champion 3yo and Dual Oaks winner SERENADE ROSE. The filly directly descends from the Champion race filly and matriarch of a Dynasty – CIRCUS RING (IRE).
This filly is bred to be an Oaks and Cups candidate and in the Chris Waller Stables she has an outstanding opportunity for racetrack success and offers wonderful residual value.
Stay tuned !