Emirates Park’s homebred De Shamekh will begin stud duties at Craiglea Stud in Queensland this season.

The son of Encosta de Lago was catalogued by Emirates Park for the 2011 Ingis Easter yearling sale and made $675,000 when agent John Warren was listed as the buyer.   Niggling injuries meant he raced just four times for trainer Gai Waterhouse and owner Hussain Lootah, a son of Emirates Park’s owner Nasser Lootah,

De Shamekh was runner-up on debut at Warwick Farm before breaking his maiden second-up at Rosehill.  A disrupted three year-old season prompted the decision to retire him in time for the upcoming breeding season.

A handsome chestnut, he is by two-time Australian champion Encosta de Lago.  The Coolmore Stud resident’s ill-fated son Northern Meteor won the 2012-13 Australian champion first-season title.

His dam Shamekha (Secret Savings) was a G1 winner of the Coolmore Classic, T J Smith Stakes and All Aged Stakes in the Emirates Park’s colours.  She is from a half-sister to Brave Warrior, the sire of Queensland’s four-time champion stallion Show A Heart.

De Shamekh will commence his stud career at the Stan Johnston-operated Craiglea Stud at a service fee of $3,300 (inc gst).