A ROYAL CROSS

Royal Ascot has, in my opinion, been as good any meeting I can remeber. There have been many fantastic performances with includes Goldikova (Anabaa) winning her 9th Group 1 in the Queen Anne Stakes, Equiano (Acclamation) winning his second King’s Stand Stakes (Gr 1), Canford Cliffs (Tagula) a decisive winner of the St James’s Palace Stakes (Gr 1), Rite Of Passage in the Gold Cup (Gr 1) and the Rabbah Bloodstock bred filly, Hibaayeb (Singspiel), proving to be a top-class three-year-old in the Ribblesdale Stakes (Gr 2).

On sire that has had a good week (bearing in mind that are still two day’ left to go still) is Oasis Dream (Green Desert). Not only did he start the week on Monday when siring Lady Jane Digby to win the Warwickshire Oaks at Warwick’s evening meeting. At the Royal meeting Oasis Dream has sire a double with Jersey Stakes (Gr 2) winner, Rainfall, and Norfolk Stakes (Gr 2) winner Approve, pictured. This is further back up with Oasis Dream’s sire, Green Desert siring his own stakes winner with his impressive Queen Mary Stakes (Gr 2) winner Maqaasid.

What is remarkable about Oasis Dream’s two Royal Ascot stakes winners is that both are out of Sadler’s Wells line mares. Rainfall is out of a daughter of Barathea (Sadler’s Wells) while Approve is out of a Sadler’s Wells mare. This pedigree pattern is particularly interesting on paper as both Green Desert and Sadler’s Wells are bred along similar lines. Green Desert is by a Northern Dancer line sire (Danzig) and out a Turn To line daughter who in turn is out of a daughter of Never Bend. Sadler’s Wells on the other hand is by Northern Dancer and is out of a half-sister to Never Bend, in Bold Reason, who is by a Turn To sire (Bold Reason). To add to this Green Desert’s second dam sire, Never Bend is by Nasrullah (Nearco), is out of Mumtaz Begum. While Sadler’s Wells second dam sire, Mahmoud (Blenheim II) is out of a sibling to Mumtaz Begum, in Mah Mahal, therefore crating line-breeding to Mumtaz Mahal.

Therefore is it not suspiring that this cross has created the likes of Hatta Fort (Cape Cross), Alkaadhem (Green Desert) and Eyshal (Green Desert) to name three. CWC