King Encosta Captures Happy Valley Trophy
19th December 2007
Encosta de Lago’s winning run in Hong Kong continued at Happy Valley on Wednesday evening when his five year-old son King Encosta (5g Encosta de Lago - Implore, by Godswalk) captured the featured Class One sprint, the Happy Valley Trophy over 1200 metres.Taken back to near last by Eric Saint-Martin after two unplaced efforts at his two runs back this season, King Encosta peeled wide at the top of the straight and unleashed a sensational finishing sprint, charging home with the heavily backed Sanziro, to beat that horse by half a length on the line.
It was the fourth win in Hong Kong from 15 starts for the Tony Cruz trained King Encosta, who started life in Sydney under the name of Prince Encosta winning his only start at Canterbury in December of 2005 prior to his transfer to Hong Kong in February 2006.
Raced by Mar and Mrs Patrick Fung Pak Tung, King Encosta was purchased by Anton Koolman Bloodstock at the 2004 Inglis Premier Yearling Sale for $70,000 from the draft of Elite Park Thoroughbreds.
King Encosta is one of eight winners from the Godswalk mare Implore (deceased 2005), who comes from the family of Blue Diamond winner Out of Danger and her triple Group One winning son St Jude, who was also by Godswalk.
King Encosta is the fourth Hong Kong winner for Encosta de Lago this season, his superior runners highlighted by sprinting superstar Sacred Kingdom.
As a result, Encosta de Lago is now the leading sire in Hong Kong and his progeny will be much sought after by Asian buyers at the sales next year starting at Karaka where 19 have been catalogued for the NZB Premier Sale.
