Aloha's rise to fame in taking out the Coolmore Classic at Rosehill Gardens at the February 19 meeting throws the spotlight on what could be one of the most successful nicks produced in Australia, that of Encosta de Lago or his sons over mares by Danehill or his descendants.

Although only in its infancy, it is the cross that has produced not only Aloha (by Encosta de Lago and from a Danehill mare), the first one to win at Group 1 level, but five other stakes winners and eight others stakes placed from daughters of Danehill. There have also been a stakes winner and a stakes placed runner got by Encosta de Lago from Flying Spur mares.

They are only a small pool, but an effective one, to date in the production record of Encosta de Lago, an Australian bred son of Sadler’s Wells more brilliance influence brother Fairy King, a former Coolmore shuttler, and Shoal Creek, a half-sister by Star Way to Flying Spur.

A lightly raced top performer to 1600m who retired to the Blue Gum Farm stud at Euroa in Victoria in 1997 and transferred to Coolmore in the Hunter Valley in 2003, Encosta de Lago to date has supplied over 700 winners of about 1800 races and $100million. His 74 stakes winners have included18 successful in Group1 races.

Much more is to come, judging on the quality of the fifty yearlings, the biggest selection in the catalogue, by Encosta de Lago listed for the 2011 Inglis Easter yearling sale. Eleven are from Danehill mares and there are two each from daughters of Flying Spur, Danehill Dancer and Danzero.

Because of their close relationship, the matings of Encosta de Lago with Flying Spur produces a significant inbreeding pattern. It has already attained good results with stakes winner Astounded and the promising Halekulani being by Encosta de Lago and from Flying Spur mares.

Flying Spur makes a big contribution to the Easter catalogue himself being represented by 31 lots and his daughters by 22. He is one of 21 sons or grandsons of Danehill who between them supply about 250 of the lots, the others including Redoute’s Choice (44), Fastnet Rock (38), Stratum (18),  Exceed and Excel (17), Danehill Dancer (13), Rock of Gibraltar (11), Nadeem (11), Commands (10), Holly Roman Emperor (9), Snitzel (6), Choisir (5), Casino Prince (5), Al Maher (4) and Danzero (4).

Nearly one hundred of the dams or grandams of the Easter yearlings are by Danehill or his sons.

Danehill has 24 out of his daughters and he is the sire of the second dams of 13 others. Flying Spur (22) and Redoute’s Choice (12) are his sons best represented by dams of yearlings.

Four yearlings available who are inbred to Danehill are lot 126, a filly by Danehill Dancer out of a daughter of a Danehill France stakes winning mare; lot 144, a Stratum colt whose grandam is by Danehill; and three by Fastnet Rock, lot 159 (colt whose grandam is also by Danehill) and lots 319 (filly) and 330 (colt) both from Choisir winners.

The awesome input of Danehill into Australian and New Zealand breeding was in evidence at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday. Two of his sons, Fastnet Rock (the Group 2 Todman Stakes winner Smart Missile) and Danehill Dancer (the Listed McCarten Stakes winner Atomic Force), supplied winners and three others, Aloha, Elite Falls (by More Than Ready; the Group 2 Reisling Stakes) and Older Than Time (Don Eduardo; the Listed Sky High Stakes), are from Danehill mares.