1/ Saturday was a sad day for those at Coolmore following the loss of their much loved champion sire Encosta de Lago at age 25. A multiple champion sire and broodmare sire, Encosta de Lago stood for as much as $302,500 at the height of his commercial fame in 2008, but he wasn't always the super sire he turned out to be.
Encosta went to stud at Blue Gum Farm in Victoria and started off at a fee of $8,500 and for his first six seasons never stood for a greater fee than $22,000. He earned his success the hard way by upgrading some pretty average mares to produce Group I superstars and many Victorian breeders achieved life changing sale ring results riding on the back of his early success.
By Sadler's Wells full brother Fairy King, who shuttled to Australia just twice for Coolmore, Encosta de Lago is fast on his way to establishing a sire dynasty through his ill-fated son Northern Meteor. He has no fewer than six sons at stud including Champion First Season Sire Zoustar.
Coolmore have pinned their
hopes on continuing his legacy with brilliant Group II winner Rubick, whose
oldest progeny are two year-olds.
2/ Smart Missile filly Maid of Heaven delivered the first of what I believe will be many Group I winners for trainer Mark Newnham when taking out the Spring Champion Stakes at Randwick. It seemed kind of an irony that Arrowfield Stud should have bred and raced this first Group I winner for a sire they moved on earlier this year for not delivering the sort of results they had hoped for.
2/ Smart Missile filly Maid of Heaven delivered the first of what I believe will be many Group I winners for trainer Mark Newnham when taking out the Spring Champion Stakes at Randwick. It seemed kind of an irony that Arrowfield Stud should have bred and raced this first Group I winner for a sire they moved on earlier this year for not delivering the sort of results they had hoped for.
Smart Missile has not stopped siring winners since his departure from Arrowfield and will undoubtedly be busy this spring at his new home of Twin Hills Stud where he stands at a fee of $13,200.
3/ People tend to get worked up about the positives and negatives of double Danehill , so what can be made of a stakes-winner with a triple cross of the champion sire? (Read about him here)
Well Aquis Farm for one would have been
happy to see Unite and Conquer win the Listed VRC Maribyrnong Trial given they
stand Group I winner The Mission, who has a double cross of Danehill.
How often do you think they've fielded the question from broodmare owners as to the pros and cons of triple Danehill given so many mares have at least one strain of the champion sire and any mating to The Mission will deliver three. There is now a piece of positive evidence to suggest that's not necessarily a bad thing!
4/ I'm probably not the only one that would love to see James Cummings give Godolphin their first Melbourne Cup winner and in Avilius he might have the horse, so let's take a look at his pedigree in staying terms, the horse I mean, not the trainer, we know all about his Melbourne Cup pedigree!
How often do you think they've fielded the question from broodmare owners as to the pros and cons of triple Danehill given so many mares have at least one strain of the champion sire and any mating to The Mission will deliver three. There is now a piece of positive evidence to suggest that's not necessarily a bad thing!
4/ I'm probably not the only one that would love to see James Cummings give Godolphin their first Melbourne Cup winner and in Avilius he might have the horse, so let's take a look at his pedigree in staying terms, the horse I mean, not the trainer, we know all about his Melbourne Cup pedigree!
Avilius is by Pivotal, who was a Group I winning sprinter and champion sire leaving an impressive 146 stakes-winners, most of them sprinter milers, some ranging successfully up to 2000 metres, with two Group I winners at 2400 metres.
His dam Alessandria was a winner up to 2400 metres and is by Japanese sensation Sunday Silence, probably one of the most influential stallions in the world. He won the Kentucky Derby, but went to stud in Japan and has sired a staggering 171 stakes-winners at the rate of 13.6% stakes-winners to runners. His best offspring is 3200 metre winner Deep Impact, currently one of the best stallions in the world with 199 stakes-winners to he credit including plenty of high class stayers.
In appearance, Avilius is far more Sunday Silence than Pivotal, so can probably go close to finding the required stamina and if anyone can help him get those last few furlongs on the first Tuesday in November it will be James Cummings.
