EDL deserves his place

ENCOSTA DE LAGO: Australia’s champion sire in all categories.

Issue 21, August 7

News that Sir Patrick Hogan’s famed Cambridge Stud in New Zealand has rejected an opportunity to shuttle the Storm Cat stallion One Cool Cat for the 2009 comes as no surprise.

One Cool Cat promised a lot when his first crop sold so well in New Zealand in 2008, but the delivery on the track has left a lot to be desired.

The Coolmore-owned One Cool Cat, a dual Group 1 juvenile winner in Ireland, would have been a short-priced favourite for first-season sire honours in New Zealand, because this was a good looking, high-class sprinter with the backing of one of the southern hemisphere’s best studs. He finished the season with one New Zealand winner from 17 runners.

However, at Randwick on Saturday, One Cool Cat’s Australian-trained son Winter King is one of the top fancies in the Group 3 San Domenico Stakes (1000m). It’s worth noting that Winter King, the winner of three of his six starts, has a strong Australian damline. His dam Something Special is by Bletchingly (by Biscay) from the Group 2 Edward Manifold Stakes winning mare Rebecca Gay (by Lord Of The Dance), whose dam, Lockleys (by Sir Dane), also is the dam of the Listed Blue Diamond Prelude winner Lockley’s Daughter.

It could be that the precocious One Cool Cat doesn’t nick with the stoutly-bred New Zealand mares, although the stallion, too, has also struggled in the Northern Hemisphere.

Every leading stallion has his detractors, but even the harshest critics of Encosta De Lago must be doffing their hats to this wonderful horse after he secured his second consecutive Australia’s leading-sire title.

Coolmore Stud’s Encosta De Lago (b h 1993, Fairy King (USA)–Shoal Creek, by Star Way (GB)) finished on top of the table with a season 2008-09 total prizemoney won by his progeny of $9,922,090, only $420,000 ahead of his arch rival, Arrowfield Stud’s star Redoute’s Choice (b h 1996, Danehill (USA)–Shantha’s Choice, by Canny Lad).

The deceased Scenic (by Sadler’s Wells (USA) claimed third, with earnings of $9,416,502.

Encosta De Lago also headed the season’s list of winners with 147 winners, and he also sired the most Group winners (nine) and the

most Group 1 winners (four). The depth of consistency of

Encosta De Lago’s progeny is in the fact his leading prizemoney earner of the season was the 2YO colt Manhattan Rain who won $757,700. Redoute’s Choice’s top earner was Samantha Miss with $1.3m, while Scenic had Melbourne Cup winner Viewed contributing $3.7m to his total.

Encosta De Lago started his stud career at Blue Gum Farm, Euroa (Victoria), in 1997, covering 113 mares at a fee of $8500. He moved to Coolmore in the Hunter Valley in 2004, and his fee peaked in 2008 at $302,500 (inc. GST). In 2009, he will cover a big book of high-class mares at a fee of $220,000 (inc. GST).

Probably not since Bletchingly (by Biscay) burst on the stud scene in the late 1970s has a stallion come off such a low, unheralded base

to become Australia’s leading sire. Bletchingly, who stood at Widden Stud after retiring in 1975, rose from obscurity to win his first of three consecutive leading-sire titles in 1979-80.

It’s impossible to imagine that Encosta De Lago, with the might of Coolmore behind him, won’t stay at the top of the stallion tree. While he is known for his versatility for producing class winners over all distances, it’s the dramatic increase in the quality of his progeny, since he has been covering some of Australia’s best mares, that should ensure that we haven’t seen the best of Encosta De Lago.

And the irony is that Manhattan Rain, who is a half-brother to Redoute’s Choice, could be the headline colt to make Encosta De Lago’s star shine even brighter in this new season.

DANNY POWER

WORDS BY DANNY POWER

Denton travels to make a mark When international bloodstock agent Adrian Nicoll, of BBA Ireland, paid $275,000 for a strapping colt by Montjeu from the Queensland Derby winner Melora (by Sir Tristram) from the draft of Windsor Park Stud at the 2005 NZB Karaka Premier Sale, there is no way he could have predicted the path the colt would follow in his racing career.

Nicoll’s first job was to find a buyer for the youngster, and part of the new ownership was made up by New Zealand Bloodstock’s owners, Peter and Philip Vela. The colt was sent to trainer Lee Freedman in Melbourne.

The youngster, named Denton, showed Freedman some talent right from the start, but like most of the Montjeu breed, the big horse was going to take time. Denton did little in two starts as a late spring 3YO, and the bay was gelded and turned out for a long break. The best he could do was to be placed in two provincial starts from five outings as a 4YO.

Freedman had faith that Denton would make it as a racehorse, given the time and patience, but not at the Melbourne Cup level his owners hoped for. A decision to send Denton back to New Zealand was thwarted by the EI outbreak, and during the long break in the paddock, nearly everyone lost interest in the horse.

Along came former Adelaide trainer Jeremy Gask, who was in his first year as a trainer in England. Gask had bought the Rock Of Gibraltar mare Catalan Bay from the

Freedman stable, and he secured Denton as a prospective jumper, along with the David Hayes-trained One Way Or Another (by Carnegie (IRE)) and the Mick Price-trained Horseshoe Reef (by Encosta De Lago).

Last Saturday, virtually on Nicoll’s doorstep, Denton scored a soft win over 2000m at Lingfield, UK, in only his second outing for Gask.

One Way Or Another also has saluted (with Clare Lindop in the saddle), while Horseshoe Reef has been placed. Former South Australian sprinter Mrs. Penny (by Planchet) is a winner in the UK, while Catalan Bay has been disappointing, but has twice finished second.

Denton’s future remains as a jumper, and Gask expects the gelding to be sold within the next 12 months, especially if his flat form remains sound.

This is not racing under the Royal banner at Ascot, but Gask and his merry band of Aussie and Kiwi-bred horses are making their mark in the “old country”. Gask’s run has been amazing. He has trained 27 winners in the UK, including 20 this season, and four of his last six starters have won.

Gask, 35, trains out of an

impressive complex at Sutton Veny, Wiltshire, in England’s south-west.

Storm Cat son for Baerami Baerami Thoroughbreds, at Sandy’s Hollow, near Denman in the Hunter Valley, have announced that the impressive looking Where’s That Tiger, by Storm Cat, will stand the 2009 season.

Where’s That Tiger was an smart trial winner for Gai Waterhouse before being retired after pulling up sore.

The fast chestnut was a brilliant 2YO 1000m maiden winner for trainer Aidan O’Brien at The Curragh before joining Mike de Kock in Dubai, where he finish second in the Group 3 UAE Guineas (1600m).

Where’s That Tiger’s dam Blissful is a sister to Kentucky Derby winner Fusaichi Pegasus (by Mr. Prospector from a Danzig mare).

The stallion will stand at a fee of $5500 (inc. GST), and he joins the recently acquired Mount Nelson, a dual Group 1 winning son of Rock Of Gibraltar, who will stand his first season at a fee of $16,500 (inc. GST).

VRC’s plan deserves rebuke A plan by the Victoria Racing Club to scrap 2YO racing from Flemington meetings during the spring carnival from 2010 should be met with the strongest opposition.

It is believed the VRC is concerned that the trend for smaller fields in spring 2YO races is having an adverse effect on betting turnover.

However, showcasing future stars, such as Rostova last year, should remain a priority for our administrators, and the variety and interest that 2YO racing provides should be put ahead of the TAB dollar.

BC3 announces reserves Pinhooking group BC3 Thoroughbreds has taken the unique step off announcing the reserve prices for their ready-to-run 2YOs, to be sold on August 23.

BC3 will conduct its own breeze-ups and sale at its newly acquired Sutton Grange property, near Bendigo.

Thirty 2YOs will gallop before the auction, although, buyers can place a bid at the reserve price at any time before the sale. If there are no other interested parties, the horse will be sold to the single bidder. All other horses will be auctioned.

The reserves range from $65,000 to $400,000 and the 2YOs can be viewed on the BC3 website.

BC3 marketing manager Simon Marshall said the company expects some of Australia’s leading trainers to attend. “We are very happy with the RSVP list, including people from Hong Kong and Singapore,” he said.

Arrowfield Stud’s supremo John Messara will be a guest speaker at lunch.

DANNY POWER

DENTON: The New Zealand-bred son of Montjeu is a recent winner in England.