Miss Rose de Lago Makes Winning Start to NZB Spring WFA Championship

A smart fresh-up win by Miss Rose de Lago (Encosta De Lago) in Saturday’s Group 2 A$200,000 Back To Caulfield PB Lawrence Stakes (1400m) earned her an early lead in the New Zealand Bloodstock Spring WFA Championship.

Making her first start since an unplaced finish in the Group 1 Queen Of The Turf Stakes in Sydney in April, Miss Rose de Lago came from midfield with a strong finishing burst. She swept past Jacquinot Bay (Galileo) and won by half a length. Entirely Platinum (NZ) (Pentire) finished another half-length away in third place.

Now the winner of nine of her 29 starts, Miss Rose de Lago was ridden on Saturday by Damien Oliver for trainer Danny O’Brien.

“A mile and even further is probably better for her, but she got a very strongly run race and she was able to soak it up and be strong on the line,” O'Brien said.

“The mares’ races don't stretch out until a bit later in the spring, so we thought it was a good chance to test her against the boys here.”

Miss Rose de Lago has earned A$882,640 in prize-money for her owners B L McRostie, Mrs J M McRostie, G L McRostie & Ms D P McRostie.

Saturday’s win earned Miss Rose de Lago 10 points in the NZB Spring WFA Championship with Jacquinot Bay receiving 8 points for finishing second and third placegetter Entirely Platinum collecting 6 points. Points were awarded back to eighth place. To see the full points table and further details about the Championship click here. 

The second leg in the NZB Spring WFA Championship will be held on 27 August with the running of the Group 1 New Zealand Bloodstock Memsie Stakes – the first Group 1 race in Australia for the 2015/16 season.