Park Appeal’s Al Quoz Sprint winning son Great Britain, a full-brother to Cape Cross, has gotten into the act this season, albeit as a broodmare sire.
Great Britain’s high-class daughter Wrecking Ball, a winner of six races, including the Gr3 Tommy Hotspur Handicap, is the dam of this season’s very exciting two-year-old Direct Hit (Canford Cliffs).
.Superfast Wrecking Ball – dam of unbeaten 2yo Direct Hit (Pic – Supplied)
The latter, a two and three quarter length winner of the Gr3 SplashOut Cape Of Good Hope Nursery, made it three wins from three starts when she romped home to an impressive win in Friday’s Listed East Cape Nursery.
The impact of the wonderful mare Park Appeal (Ahonoora) continues to be felt across the world.
he Champion 2yo Filly in both Britain and Ireland in 1984, Park Appeal was unbeaten in four starts at two when her wins included both the Gr1 Moyglare Stud Stakes and Gr1 Cheveley Park Stakes. The latter race saw Park Appeal scorch clear to win by four lengths.
Great Britain (Green Desert – Park Appeal)
Park Appeal would go on to prove an influential broodmare, with her nine winners headed by Gr1 Lockinge Stakes winner Cape Cross, Champion Sire in France in 2009. A son of Green Desert, Cape Cross sired more than 120 stakes winners including outstanding English Derby winning champions Sea The Stars and Golden Horn, as well as remarkable globetrotting mare Ouija Board.
The latter, whose seven Gr1 wins included scores in both the Gr1 The Oaks and Gr1 Irish Oaks, produced three stakes winners, notably dual Derby winner, and successful sire, Australia (Galileo).
Sea The Stars, an outstanding champion on the track and half-brother to legendary stallion Galileo, is one of the world’s top stallions, having sired more than 130 stakes winners, including champions of the ilk of Stradivarius, Baaeed, and Sea Of Class, as well as successful stallion Sea The Moon and Epsom classic winners Harzand and Taghrooda.
His Derby winning paternal half-brother Golden Horn, while not in the same class as a stallion as Sea The Stars, has come up with high-class performers on both the flat and over jumps. His stakes winners on the flat are led by the group winners Botanik, Divina Grace, Gregory, Trawlerman, Goldenas, Haskoy and Caius Chorister, while Golden Horn is also responsible for 2025 Gr1 Unibet Champion Hurdle Challenge Trophy winner Golden Ace and 2025 JCB Triumph Hurdle hero Poniros.
The somewhat underappreciated Cape Cross has become an outstanding broodmare sire.
Australia- one of the best O’Brien ever trained (Pic – Supplied)
To date, his daughters have produced the Derby winners Australia and Masar, as well as outstanding, multiple Gr1 winning half-sisters Tarnawa (Shamardal) and Tahiyra (Siyouni). Cape Cross also ranks as the broodmare sire of six time Gr1 winner Laurens, and 2024 Gr1 Sportsbet Caulfield Cup winner Duke De Sessa (Lope De Vega).
Cape Cross’ half-sister Pastorale (Nureyev) has also made her mark on the stud book. While Pastorale’s son Iffraaj (Zafonic) failed to win at the highest level, he did win the Gr2 Park Stakes twice as well as one running of the Gr2 Lennox Stakes.
Iffraaj proved a better stallion than racehorse, with his more than 100 stakes winners including multiple Gr1 winning miler Ribchester, champions Rizeena and Jungle Cat, and outstanding stallion Wootton Bassett.
The latter, who stood for 300,000 euros in 2025, enjoyed a magnificent year in 2024, when Wootton Bassett’s representatives included Gr1 winning two-year-olds Camille Pissaro, Henri Matisse, Twain and Tennessee Stud.
Wootton Bassett sons Expanded and Twain currently rank among the leading fancies for the upcoming Gr1 2000 Guineas.
