News

Encosta Back on Top

20th Apr 2009

Breednet - Tara Madgwick - Tuesday, 21 April 2009

The three-way battle for Champion Australian Sire honours between reigning champion Encosta de Lago, archrival Redoute’s Choice and the ill-fated Scenic (IRE) stepped up another notch at the weekend with quality colt Manhattan Rain driving Encosta back into the lead by a margin of around $300,000.

Poised to be crowned Champion Two Year Old Colt for 2008/2009, Manhattan Rain is yet to run a bad race and has put together the stylish record of two wins and three placings from five starts with earnings of $719,700.

Set to back up in the Group One AJC Champagne Stakes at Randwick this Saturday, Manhattan Rain is one of several key runners for Encosta de Lago (pictured) who has entries in each of the four Group One races this Saturday including Northern Meteor, Racing to Win, Newport, Largo Lad and Road to Rock.

Redoute’s Choice will be pinning his hopes on classy colt Tickets to turn the tables on Manhattan Rain in the Champagne, but overall looks to have light representation on the last day of the AJC Carnival.

Scenic (IRE) has been putting up a tremendous performance for a horse whose last crop of foals are now three year-olds, that fact putting him at the considerable disadvantage of having no juvenile earnings for this season.

Even with that handicap, Scenic (IRE) has been going great guns and with top class WA based galloper Marasco due in Sydney for the Group One All Aged Stakes on Saturday, the son of Sadler’s Wells could stay in contention for a while yet.

Top 10 Sires by Australian Earnings 2008/2009