Coolmore Stud announced 21-year-old stallion Encosta de Lago, who has been represented by 105 stakes winners, has been retired from active stud duty following a stellar career.
The son of Fairy King has twice been crowned champion sire of Australia, as well as earning the title of champion sire in Hong Kong for the 2011-2012 season.
"It's a pleasure to be associated with a horse of this caliber," Coolmore's Tom Magnier said in a statement. "He has done it all as a stallion and we are looking forward to further quality performers emerging over the coming seasons from his final crops. We are lucky to have an interest in Rubick, who looks to have the potential to represent Encosta with distinction, not only on the racecourse over the coming months, but as a top-class young sire prospect for the future."
"His stud career has been nothing short of phenomenal," said Coolmore Australia general manager Michael Kirwan. "His progeny have earned just short of $140 million in prize money around the world and to that end, he is entitled to be regarded as the most successful Australian bred sire of all time. He has been an incredibly versatile stallion, capable of siring top-class performers in all age groups, over any distance, in any jurisdiction, with the hallmarks of his progeny being their soundness and great appetite for racing.
"While he was a classy racehorse in his own right, the manner in which he rose from relative obscurity as a sire has been something of a fairy tale. His figures to date are astonishing and the success of Northern Meteor has served to demonstrate his prowess as a sire of sires, while his daughters have firmly established him as a wonderful broodmare sire.'
According to Coolmore, Encosta de Lago has been represented by 23 group I winners and 22 millionaires to date.
