Champion sire Encosta de Lago has been pensioned at Coolmore, but he may yet go out in a blaze of glory with Mike Moroney holding high hopes for his blue-blooded daughter Alaskan Rose, who takes another step on the trail to Group I glory at Caulfield on Saturday.
A brilliant four and a half-length debut winner at Sandown earlier this month,
Alaskan Rose takes on some promising fillies when stepping up to 1400 metres at
her second start.A $150,000 NZB Premier purchase for Paul Moroney Bloodstock from the Westbury Stud draft, Alaskan Rose was bred by Gerry Harvey and is the first winner for well-bred Redoute's Choice mare Saskia.
A half-sister to stakes-winner Quayside, Saskia is a daughter of Group II VRC Wakeful Stakes winner Quays and grand-daughter of Group I AJC Flight Stakes winner Pontal Lass, so she's from a family of fillies that have excelled during the spring.
She's also bred on a nick that has proven highly successful between Encosta de Lago and Redoute's Choice.
The two sires have combined in the pedigree of nine stakes-winners headed by Group I winners Zoustar and Musir, as well as current stakes-winner Peeping.
Happily enjoying his retirement, Encosta de Lago has already won the MRC Thousand Guineas twice previously with Alinghi and Mnemosyne, so Alaskan Rose will be seeking to give him the hat-trick, but we'll know more after Saturday.
