Green Desert (photo by Shadwell)
When Golden Horn landed the spoils in Saturday’s rather controversial running of the Gr1 QIPCO Irish Champion Stakes, he paid further tribute to a truly great sire, who died last week.
Green Desert, who died at the age of 32, is the sire of former top miler Cape Cross, sire of the now triple Gr1 winner Golden Horn, whose previous top level successes include this year’s Investec Derby and Coral-Eclipse. Cape Cross is also responsible for 2009 Investec Derby winner Sea The Stars, whose unbeaten 2yo son Cloth Of Stars ran out a most impressive winner of the Gr3 Prix des Chenes last Wednesday and who looks an exciting prospect for 2016.
Winner of the Gr1 July Cup in 1986 (the same year in which he finished second to champion Dancing Brave in the 2000 Guineas), Green Desert has gone on to become a truly important sire – not just of black type winners, but as a top class sire of sires and as a broodmare sire.
Recent Results
His legacy can be clearly seen in the results of some of the world’s great races of 2015. Green Desert line horses have been responsible the winners of 10 Gr1 races in 2015, while his daughters have produced the likes of Makfi (2000 Guineas, sire of French 2000 Guineas winner Make Believe in his first crop), Was (Investec Oaks), Bracelet (Irish Oaks), Dubawi Gold (2nd 2000 Guineas), Lucky Nine (Champion Sprinter) and Almutawakel (Dubai World Cup). Green Desert is also broodmare sire of Illuminate (Zoffany), one of the best 2yo fillies seen out in Britain this year.
Best Progeny
Green Desert’s best progeny include the Gr1 winners/champions Bint Allayl, Cape Cross, Desert Lord, Desert Prince, Heat Haze, Invincible Spirit, Markab, Oasis Dream, Owington, Rose Gypsy, Sheikh Albadou, Tamarisk, and White Heat. His runners, not surprisingly, were particularly effective over sprint trips, with no fewer than four of his sons winning the Gr1 Haydock Park Sprint Cup – a race Green Desert won when it was run as the Gr2 Vernons Sprint Cup.
In 2015, Cape Cross became his first son to reach 100 stakes winners, while other outstanding stallion sons of Green Desert include Invincible Spirit (sire of 12 Gr1 winners including successful sires Lawman and I am Invincible), Oasis Dream (sire of this season’s star sprinter Muhaarar) and New Zealand’s multiple champion, Volksraad. Another son, Desert Sun, sired the great champion Sunline, and is the broodmare sire of unbeaten sprint queen, Black Caviar (Bel Esprit), while Desert Style is the sire of, among others, the multiple Gr1 winner and promising young sire, Paco Boy (whose son Galileo Gold rates as a classic hope for 2016). Desert Style, also a successful broodmare sire, is also sire of such Gr1 winners as dual Guineas hero, Bachir, Gr1 Prix de la Foret winner, Caradak and star filly Mandesha.
The beautifully bred Byron is the sire of Gr1 winning filly Byrama and the globetrotting star, Gordon Lord Byron, a triple Gr1 winner who has earned more than £1.6 million in stakes.
SA Influence
Querari (Oasis Dream – Quetana)
The Green Desert dynasty has also been felt in South Africa. His daughter, Just A Mirage, is not only the dam of the now deceased but highly successful sire, Kahal (sire of Gr1 winners over distances ranging from 1000 to 3200m), but also Gr3 Champagne Stakes winner, Katici Princess (Noverre). His champion sprinting son, Oasis Dream, is responsible for the very promising local sire Querari, who ended last season as the second leading first crop sire in South Africa. Oasis Dream is also sire of the well performed Main Aim, a former July Cup runner up whose well regarded first crop race this season.
Great Britain (Green Desert-Park Appeal)
Another Green Desert son, Great Britain, has also made a pleasing start with his first local runners, with five of his first 11 runners having found the winners box.
With his male line descendants include the likes of Cape Cross, Invincible Spirit, Kingman, Oasis Dream, and Sea The Stars, it seems safe to say that the Green Desert success story is a long way from finished.
Cracking first foal for Galileo son
The Assayer by Galileo – Crystal Charm
Yellow Star Stud’s beautifully bred young sire, The Assayer, looks to have made the perfect start to his stud career, if his first foal is anything to go by! The first son of the world’s finest stallion, Galileo, to stand at stud in South Africa, The Assayer was represented by his first foal last week when the mare Flying Minstrel produced a flashy colt.
Bred on the same Galileo/Danehill cross as legendary champion Frankel, leading sire Teofilo and recent Gr1 St Leger winner, Bondi Beach, The Assayer was a high class 2yo who was placed in three features at two, including the Gr1 Golden Horseshoe and Gr1 Premier’s Champion Stakes.
The Assayer is the first son of 2001 Epsom Derby winner, Galileo, to retire to stud in South Africa. Galileo has been a sensation since first going to stud and has 50 individual Group/Grade One winners to his credit.
Phenomenal success
Champion Sire six times in the past seven years, Galileo’s string of champions include the above mentioned Frankel, New Approach, Australia, Cape Blanco, Golden Lilac, Igugu, Was, Lush Lashes, and this season’s superb miler Gleneagles. His successful sire sons include New Approach and Teofilo, as well as the hugely promising Roderic O’Connor, sire of the high class filly Great Page in his first crop this season. Galileo recently recorded a remarkable success when his daughters Minding, Ballydoyle, and Alice Springs finished 1-2-3 in Sunday’s Gr1 Moyglare Stud Stakes.
A horse with a superb temperament, The Assayer hails from the same family as one of the world’s finest sires, Medaglia D’Oro – who, like The Assayer, is a male line descendant of Sadler’s Wells.
