STAKES DOUBLE TO COOLMORE STALWARTS

Acclaimed Coolmore stallions Encosta de Lago and Royal Academy have made their mark on the prominent autumn 2-year-old scene with the respective victories of Cecconi (2c, Encosta de Lago-Tonicity, by Blazing Sword) and Beauty School (2f, Royal Academy-Salamore, by Vain) in stakes events at Caulfield.

Encosta de Lago colt Cecconi claimed the Listed MRC Blue Diamond Preview (1000m) for colts and geldings with a highly promising display of raw galloping ability. Sent out the 6/4 favourite of the event following a promising debut effort during the spring and glowing trackwork reports, the handsome bay colt strode to a two and three-quarter lengths success in the manner of horse with considerable further improvement guaranteed.

Royal Academy's daughter Beauty School won a competitive renewal of the Listed MRC Blue Diamond Preview (1000m) for fillies, running the impressive time of 57.14 seconds --- some 0.6 of a second faster than the time registered by Cecconi over the same course and distance. The filly is now one-from-three and is yet to finish out of the placings in three Listed Race events.

Both Cecconi and Beauty School were sold as yearlings at the 2006 Australian Easter Yearling Sale, fetching $460,000 and $160,000 respectively. In each case, the juveniles were selected for their connections by prominent Sydney-based bloodstock agent James Bester.