Not for the first time in recent years, the Green Desert male line came to the fore in a major race meeting.
At last week’s Qatar Goodwood Festival, Green Desert’s heirs came to the fore in a number of that meeting’s features.
His July Cup winning son Oasis Dream, whose son Querari has headed South Africa’s Leading Sires of 2YO’s list for the past two seasons, really made his presence felt in Wednesday’s Gr1 Qatar Sussex Stakes. His Gimcrack Stakes winning son Showcasing is the sire of the 2020 Sussex winner Mohaather, while Sussex third Siskin (victorious in the Tattersalls Irish 2000 Guineas earlier this year) is out of the Oasis Dream mare Bird Flown.
Mohaather was one of two Goodwood winners for Showcasing this year. Showcasing was also responsible for promising two-year-old Alkumait – a fluent winner at Goodwood on Tuesday.
Sarah Whitelaw writes that Oasis Dream, whose outstanding daughter Midday captured Goodwood’s Gr1 Nassau Stakes three times from 2009 to 2011, enjoyed success when his daughter Tomorrow’s Dream captured the very first race at the meeting – the British European Breeders Fund EBF Fillies’ Handicap.
Another Gimcrack Stakes winning son of Oasis Dream, Approve, also enjoyed success at the Goodwood meeting, with Approve’s son Only Spoofing capturing Tuesday’s Qatar Handicap.
Another Green Desert son, Invincible Spirit, whose sons Born To Sea and Zebedee sired the second and third placed finishers respectively in Saturday’s Unibet Stewards’ Cup, also made his mark at Goodwood this year.
Invincible Spirit, whose half-brother Kodiac supplied the runner up finishers in both the Gr2 Richmond and Gr3 Molecomb Stakes, had his son Society Lion capture Saturday’s Qatar Handicap.
His Gr1 Tattersalls Falmouth Stakes winner daughter Nazeef ran third in last Thursday’s Gr1 Qatar Nassau Stakes, while Invincible Spirit’s French Derby winning son Lawman is damsire of Friday’s brilliant Gr2 King George Stakes winner Battaash.
Another son of Invincible Spirit, Cable Bay, was responsible for Thursday’s Goodwood winner Glamorous Anna.
Green Desert’s deceased son Cape Cross, whose son Hochfield won at Goodwood on Saturday, made his mark primarily this year through his greatest son Sea The Stars.
Sea The Stars – champion
The latter, whose daughter Raabihah captured the Gr3 Prix de Psyche on Saturday, is the sire of outstanding stayer Stradivarius – victorious in the Gr1 Qatar Goodwood Cup for a fourth straight year – as well as Friday’s TDN Australia Handicap winner Cepheus.
Green Desert also features as the paternal grandsire of triple Gr1 winner Paco Boy -sire of Saturday’s Unibet Stewards’ Sprint Handicap winner Treacherous.
