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What a marvellous influence two time champion sire Encosta de Lago has, and continues to be, in Australian racing.
On the back of her dominant first up victory in the G2 Liston Stakes, Tasmanian-trained star Mystic Journey looks set for spring glory but she is not the only member of the thriving Encosta de Lago sire line in fine form.
The likes of triple G1 winner and leading Everest contender Sunlight, emerging Perth star Cup Night, unbeaten gallopers Zoustyle and Mystery Love, recent stakes winners Condo's Expressa and Mizzy and the boom 3YO Yes Yes Yes are all set to play a part in the spring carnival.
Encosta De Lago, himself a G1 winning sprinter/miler, has been represented by 115 stakes winners with 27 successful at G1 level.
Boasting an outstanding winners-to-runners strike rate of 70.5%, he is a noted sire of sires with 12 of his sons siring stakes winners.
Queensland breeders have only limited access to his sire line but there is a new opportunity for broodmare owners after the acquisition by Lucas Bloodstock of the proven sire Delago Deluxe.
He is the only G1 winning son of Encosta de Lago standing at stud in Queensland this spring and advertised his credentials at Eagle Farm on August 31 with his 3YO daughter Sukwhinder recording her second win in three starts for Gold Coast trainer Michael Costa.
The Costa stable had a great week with the Delago Deluxe breed with Sukwhinder's full brother Shishaq breaking his maiden at Lismore on August 26 by an impressive 5.75 lengths.
Costa is a fan of the breed, noting that they have "great gate speed and good brains" for racing
Other promising runners by Delago Deluxe include the impressive maiden winners Parlour and Miss Geneva, trial winners winner Mook, I Call Junee Home and Coast, who was so impressive winning two Randwick trials that he has been sold to Hong Kong.
Delago Deluxe has the numbers as he has 68 three-year-olds and 65 two-year-olds to represent him this season to follow his his first crop, who just recently turned five and are thriving with an excellent 62.9% winners-to-runners strike rate.
Sold for $550,000 to South African interests at the 2010 Magic Millions, Delago Deluxe put together at great record winning his first four starts in that country including the G1 Medallion Stakes, G2 Nursery Plate and G3 Protea Stakes to earn the title of South African Champion 2YO Colt.
He recorded a second G1 victory in the Golden Horse Sprint as a 3YO before retiring to stud in Australia with a stellar record of seven wins and five placings from 13 starts.
He is bred on a 3 X 3 cross of the renowned producer Rolls (grandam of Encosta de Lago and dam of Flying Spur) with his grandam being the six time Group winner Staging, dam of the G1 winners Duporth and Excites and the two times G2 winner Tickets.