Encosta De Lago bound for Ireland

Top Australian sire ENCOSTA DE LAGO (Fairy King) departed his Hunter Valley

home Tuesday for Coolmore Stud in Co. Tipperary, Ireland. The 14-year-old

stallion, currently third on Australia's general sire list, was represented last

weekend by New Zealand Oaks (NZ-G1) heroine Princess Coup. A stud fee was not

announced for the bay, but he stood last season for A$160,000 and was listed as

private this year.

"It boils down to our confidence in Encosta de Lago more than anything else;

he is challenging for the sires' premiership here and he has had enormous

success in recent weeks,"  Coolmore Australia's general manager, Michael

Kirwan said.

"His two-year-olds are going fantastically well with three Golden Slipper

contenders in Press the Button, Cecconi and Moonboat, and he is getting tough,

sound horses that train on over a mile and a half. We feel he is a brilliant

sire heading in the right direction, everything is going his way at the moment."

Kirwan added, "We plan to utilize him for our own mares in Ireland. Encosta de

Lago is a horse for all seasons, and this year's yearlings are from the best

mares he has had to date. He is very competitive at all levels."

The bay, produced by a half-sister to another leading Australian sire in

Flying Spur, has sired 40 stakes winners, including seven Group 1 winners, to

date. In 2006, he was represented by the top-priced yearling filly in Australia

when a full sister to champion Alinghi sold for A$2.6 million. Encosta de Lago

covered 240 mares in 2005 and 231 last year, but Kirwan said that the stallion

would not be "overburdened" during his Irish sojourn.