Cape Cross (Green Desert – Park Appeal)
Former Gr1 Lockinge Stakes winner, Cape Cross (Green Desert) was represented by his second Arc de Triomphe winner when his once beaten son, Golden Horn landed the Longchamp showpiece in style on Sunday.
Cape Cross’ previous Arc winner, Sea The Stars, (like Golden Horn, beaten just once in his career) was himself in the news this past weekend when his son, Star Storm landed Saturday’s Gr3 Cumberland Lodge Stakes at Ascot. In the process, the James Fanshawe trained colt became Sea The Stars’ 24th black type performer in 2015, and his sire’s 11th group/graded winner in total.
Black type bringer
Cape Cross is much more than just the sire of two great colts. To date, the son of Green Desert has sired 100 black type winners in total, with his 11 Gr1 winners including the mighty Ouija Board, whose seven Gr1 victories include the Irish and Investec Oaks, and whose son Australia won the 2014 Gr1 Investec Derby. Barring Galileo and Montjeu, few sires have made more impact on the Epsom classics in modern times than has Cape Cross, whose daughter, Rising Cross, nearly caused a 33-1 shocker when second in the Vodafone Oaks of 2006.
Successful nicks
Great Britain (Green Desert – Park Appeal)
Cape Cross (whose full brother Great Britain is standing at Highlands) clearly works well with Mr Prospector line mares. Golden Horn and Sea The Stars are both out of Mr P line mares, with Golden Horn’s dam being by Dubai Destination (Kingmambo) and Sea The Stars’ by Miswaki, while his Gr2 winning daughter, Cape Dollar is out of a Kingmambo daughter. The sire has also had Gr1 winners out of Danehill – Able One (Hong Kong Mile) and Nayarra (Gran Criterium). Sadler’s Wells (broodmare sire of Cape Cross’ Oaks winning granddaughter Taghrooda) is damsire of Cape Cross’ 2015 German 2000 Guineas hero, Karpino as well as Gr3 winner Laaheb, and Gr3 Queen’s Vase winner Namibian, while Sadler’s Wells’ greatest son, Galileo, sired Australia. Sadler’s Wells’ successful and somewhat underappreciated son, In The Wings is damsire of Cape Cross’ very good filly, Treat Gently (Gr2 Prix de Mallaret), while another son, Barathea, is maternal grandsire of the genuine performer Hatta Fort, whose wins included the Gr2 Superlative Stakes.
SA Results
Champion sire in France in 2009, Cape Cross, who has been represented by 10 stakes winners in 2015, has had just a handful of runners in South Africa, with his best being Dollarmation, the latter beating subsequent Horse Of The Year, Ilha Da Vitoria (Candy Stripes) when second in the Gr2 Elevation Stakes.
Danzig legacy
Danzig
Golden Horn’s great win also continued the marvellous run of success enjoyed by the Danzig male line over the weekend. Gr1 winners, Goldream (Qatar Prix de l’Abbaye) and Esoterique (Sun Chariot Stakes), both hail from this male line as does Arc runner up, Flintshire (Dansili). Remarkably, at least nine Group/Graded winners this weekend the world over are male line descendants of the undefeated Danzig. Danzig grandson, Wicked Strong finished second in Saturday’s Gr1 Jockey Club Gold Cup, giving his sire, Hard Spun, yet another Gr1 performer this year. Danzig line descendants, Turret Rocks and Qemah (2nd and 3rd Prix Marcel Boussac) and Jazzi Top and We Are (Prix De L’Opera) filled the minor placings in some of Longchamp’s Gr1 Sunday features.
The Danzig line enjoyed local success on Saturday in South Africa through Danehill son Toreador, whose daughter, Lazer Star landed the Gr3 World Sports Betting F&M Joburg Spring Challenge.
Muthmir, third in Sunday’s L’Abbaye is inbred to Danzig, a cross which is enjoying increasing success the world over.
Lorenzaccio
Interestingly, Golden Horn is inbred to Lorenzaccio (Klairon) –a horse who broke the hearts of many racing fans when defeating the great Nijinsky II in the Champion Stakes of 1970. Lorenzaccio’s name will live in pedigrees for decades thanks to the deeds of his hugely successful son, Ahonoora –sire of classic winners Don’t Forget Me and Dr Devious, outstanding sire and broodmare sire, Indian Ridge, and broodmare sire of such horses as Cape Cross, Derby winner and champion, New Approach (Galileo), influential speed sire, Acclamation (Royal Applause), and US Horse Of The Year, Azeri (Jade Hunter), to name but a few. Ahonoora is also broodmare sire of former champion SA sprinter Tracy’s Element – herself dam of ill-fated Australian Horse Of The Year, Typhoon Tracy (Red Ransom). Other notable performers inbred to Lorenzaccio include Irish Derby runner up, Definite Article-best known as the sire of four time Gr1 Irish St Leger winner Vinnie Roe.
Lorenzaccio is found twice through Ahonoora (damsire of Cape Cross) and through Golden Horn’s fourth dam, Lora. The latter produced 1000 Guineas winner, On The House (Be My Guest) and is a three parts sister to Klairessa (Klairon), dam of champion sprinter, Habibti (Habitat), and the outstanding broodmare, Eight Carat.
Mumtaz Mahal
Mumtaz Mahal
It should not be forgotten however, that Golden Horn, while being by a very good sire, owes plenty to his superb female line. He traces back to the mighty Mumtaz Mahal, as does another Arc winner of recent times, Zarkava (Zamindar), while other recent stars tracing back to the “Flying Filly” include former SA Horse Of The Year, Igugu (Galileo) and this season’s Gr1 Pretty Polly Stakes winner, Diamondsandrubies (Fastnet Rock).
Storm Cat
On a different note, Ballydoyle’s Prix Marcel Boussac also was a timely reminder of the greatness of Storm Cat as a broodmare sire. Ballydoyle became the 31st Group/Grade One winner produced by a daughter of Storm Cat. The Galileo/Storm Cat cross is also growing in success – with Ballydoyle bred on the same cross as classic winners Gleneagles, Marvellous and Misty For Me. The latter, like Ballydoyle, also captured the Gr1 Prix Marcel Boussac.
