Green Desert (horse)
| Green Desert | |
|---|---|
| Sire | Danzig |
| Grandsire | Northern Dancer |
| Dam | Foreign Courier |
| Damsire | Sir Ivor |
| Sex | Stallion |
| Foaled | April 16, 1983 |
| Died | September 9, 2015 (aged 32) |
| Country | United States |
| Colour | Bay |
| Breeder | Eaton Farms, Inc & Red Bull Stables |
| Owner | Maktoum Al Maktoum |
| Trainer | Michael Stoute |
| Record | 14: 5-5-0 |
| Earnings | £222,453 |
| Major wins | |
| July Stakes (1985) Flying Childers Stakes (1985) European Free Handicap (1986) July Cup (1986) Sprint Cup (1986) | |
| Awards | |
| Timeform rating 118 (1985), 127 (1986) | |
Green Desert (16 April 1983 – 9 September 2015) was an American-bred, British-trained Thoroughbred racehorse and sire.
Racing career[edit]
1985: two-year-old season[edit]
After finishing second on his racecourse debut, Green Desert won the July Stakes over six furlongs at Newmarket Racecourse. He then finished second to Nomination in the Richmond Stakes at Goodwood before dropping back to five furlongs to win the Flying Childers Stakes at Doncaster Racecourse. On his final appearance of the season he finished fourth to Luqman in the Mill Reef Stakes at Newbury.[1]
1986: three-year-old season[edit]
Green Desert began his second season by winning the European Free Handicap over seven furlongs at Newmarket and then finished second to Dancing Brave in the 2000 Guineas. He made no impact on heavy ground in the Irish 2,000 Guineas and then finished second to Sure Blade in the St James's Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot. When brought back to sprint distances Green Desert's form improved as he won the July Cup, finished third to Last Tycoon in the William Hill Sprint Championship and won the Haydock Sprint Cup. In his last two races he finished fourth in the Prix de l'Abbaye and last of nine when tried on dirt in the Breeders' Cup Sprint.[2]
Stud record[edit]
Standing at Shadwell Stud,[3] Green Desert was the sire of four Champion Sprinters and seventy-two individual Stakes winners.[4]
Green Desert was retired from stud duty in 2011 and was euthanized at the Nunnery Stud on 9 September 2015 at the age of thirty-two.[5]
Major winners[edit]
c = colt, f = filly, g = gelding
| Foaled | Name | Sex | Major wins |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | Sheikh Albadou | c | Nunthorpe Stakes Breeders' Cup Sprint Haydock Sprint Cup |
| 1988 | Collier Bay | g | Irish Champion Hurdle Champion Hurdle |
| 1991 | Owington | c | July Cup |
| 1993 | Oriental Express | g | Queen Elizabeth II Cup Hong Kong Champions & Chater Cup |
| 1993 | Shinko Forest | c | Takamatsunomiya Kinen |
| 1994 | Cape Cross | c | Lockinge Stakes |
| 1995 | Desert Prince | c | Irish 2,000 Guineas Prix du Moulin Queen Elizabeth II Stakes |
| 1995 | Tamarisk | c | Haydock Sprint Cup |
| 1995 | White Heart | g | Charles Whittingham Memorial Handicap Turf Classic Stakes |
| 1996 | Bint Allayl | f | Cartier Champion Two-year-old Filly |
| 1997 | Invincible Spirit | c | Haydock Sprint Cup |
| 1998 | Rose Gypsy | f | Poule d'Essai des Pouliches |
| 1999 | Heat Haze | f | Beverly D. Stakes Matriarch Stakes |
| 2000 | Desert Lord | g | Prix de l'Abbaye |
| 2000 | Oasis Dream | c | Middle Park Stakes July Cup Nunthorpe Stakes |
| 2003 | Markab | g | Haydock Sprint Cup |
Sire of sires[edit]
Several of Green Desert's sons became successful breeding stallions and three had exceptional success:
- Cape Cross sired Ouija Board, Sea The Stars, Golden Horn, Behkabad, Able One, Seachange and Awtaad.
- Invincible Spirit sired Kingman, Moonlight Cloud, Charm Spirit, Magna Grecia, Fleeting Spirit, Eqtidaar, Mayson, Lawman, Nazeef, Vale of York, Hooray, Shalaa and Rosdhu Queen.
- Oasis Dream sired Midday, Muhaarar, Goldream, Power, Aqlaam, Jwala, Charming Thought, Arcano, Prohibit and Pretty Pollyanna.
Pedigree[edit]
| Sire Danzig |
Northern Dancer | Nearctic | Nearco |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lady Angela | |||
| Natalma | Native Dancer | ||
| Almahmoud | |||
| Pas de Nom | Admiral's Voyage | Crafty Admiral | |
| Olympia Lou | |||
| Petitioner | Petition | ||
| Steady Aim | |||
| Dam Foreign Courier |
Sir Ivor | Sir Gaylord | Turn-to |
| Somethingroyal | |||
| Attica | Mr. Trouble | ||
| Athenia | |||
| Courtly Dee | Never Bend | Nasrullah | |
| Lalun | |||
| Tulle | War Admiral | ||
| Judy-Rae (family: A4) |
References[edit]
- ^ Timeform staff (1986). Racehorses of 1985. Timeform. ISBN 0-900599-42-1.
- ^ Timeform staff (1987). Racehorses of 1986. Timeform. ISBN 0-900599-44-8.
- ^ "Green Desert Race Record". Archived from the original on June 14, 2009. Retrieved November 17, 2009.
- ^ Racing Post
- ^ Ron Mitchell (September 9, 2015). "Top Sire Green Desert Euthanized at Age 32". The Blood-Horse.