The Middle Park Stakes has fallen to a son (Zieten) and three grandsons (Hayil, Minardi and Oasis Dream), the Cheveley Park to two daughters (Blue Duster and Pas de Reponse), three grand-daughters (Wannabe Grand, Seazun and Regal Rose) and one great-grand-daughter (Queen’s Logic), and the July Cup to six sons (Green Desert, Polish Patriot, Hamas, Anabaa, Elnadim and Agnes World) and three grandsons (Owington, Mozart and Oasis Dream).

Last Thursday, in a contest that matched all the preceding hype, great-grandson Choisir burst from his stall and made himself a target for grandson Oasis Dream, these contrasting physical types from the same male-line source giving us a July Cup to remember with relish in the years to come.

It was defeat with honour for the massive Australian raider, and more than a tad unfair for some to cite his failure to match the treble registered by Diadem in 1920. Choisir beat 14 of his rivals fair and square in his July Cup; Diadem received a walk-over in hers.

Though dwarfed by his principal rival, Oasis Dream is a strong, well-made, handsome individual, and if speed from the gate is not his forte, he gathers momentum quickly enough and races with rare zest and resolution. As in 2002, he has taken a while to get his act together this year; now that he has, he seems a fair bet to keep winning and notch his second championship.

Oasis Dream is by the first of Danzig’s July Cup heroes and is Green Desert’s own second scorer, after Owington in 1994. A small, neat, attractive horse, Green Desert is now completing his seventeenth stud season, and the impact he has made is to be seen beyond the exploits of his own immediate offspring.

The early deaths of Sheikh Albadou (at 11) and Owington (at five) and Tamarisk’s infertility were potentially severe setbacks to his chances of securing long-term influence, but Desert Style has a Deutsches Derby winner to his name, Desert Prince’s early promise has been confirmed with the emergence of Kalaman this year, and Cape Cross cannot stop having winners with his first runners. At the July meeting, Green Desert figured in the first and third generation of Pattern winners, Oasis Dream’s victory being preceded by that of Nevisian Lad, whose dam is a daughter of Sheikh Albadou.

Green Desert has never been cheap to use. He started out at £25,000, rose to £35,000 in the year when Oasis Dream was conceived, and after three seasons at £40,000, he was up to £60,000 in 2003. He has never been the most regular supplier of Pattern and Graded performers, only one (to date) having emerged from each of the four crops between 1997 and 2000. On the other hand, he has never covered the huge books that many of his rivals entertain, and his career ratio of winners to foals (62 per cent) is among the highest of all current sires; Sadler’s Wells can muster only 54 per cent.

Though best as a sprinter, Green Desert was also a gifted miler; but for Dancing Brave, he would have been a Guineas winner. For the most part his stock have also been sprinters and/or milers, though a rare one in White Heart managed a Grade 1 victory over 10 furlongs in California.

If he had come to hand sooner this spring, Oasis Dream would have tried a mile in the Poule d’Essai, and his pedigree certainly would not preclude him from getting that distance. His Zamindar half-sister Zenda won last year’s first French fillies’ classic, and she is now with Bobby Frankel, working towards Grade 1 mile events later this year.

Zenda and Oasis Dream are the third and fourth foals delivered in the all-too-brief stud career of Hope, who also produced a Listed-winning miler in Hopeful Light. A full sister to Irish Oaks heroine Wemyss Bight, Hope had just a single start for Andre Fabre, finishing unplaced in a minor event over 10 furlongs at Chantilly.

When taken out of training, it was noted that Hope suffered from a stiff neck. A thorough check-over revealed that it stemmed from a severe arthritic condition that was causing her vertebrae to fuse, so she had every excuse for having failed to emulate her sister as an athlete. Remarkably, this brave mare actually surpassed Wemyss Bight (dam of the Grand Prix de Paris winner, now Juddmonte stallion, Beat Hollow) at stud with her pair of Group 1 scorers before she lost all co-ordination and had to be put down this spring.

Hope, who took more after her her sire than her dam, was one of those ideal broodmares who tended to throw to the stallion. Her three winners were all typical of their sires in aptitude, hinting that her visits to Generous and Rainbow Quest – which both misfired – would have produced stayers.

In recent generations the family has certainly not lacked stamina. That was Bahamian’s long suit, as she demonstrated with her victory – subsequently taken from her by the Longchamp stewards – in the Group 3 Prix de l’Esperance over 15 furlongs. Her own dam Sorbus had suffered a similar fate, very controversially, 10 years earlier, being relegated from first place in the Curragh Oaks, a decision that left her with the unenviable record of seconds in four Group 1 events – three Irish Classics, plus the Yorkshire Oaks – yet never a Pattern win.

Busted, Mill Reef and Dancing Brave all served to inject some stamina into a family that was formerly more associated with speed. Sixpence, the fifth dam of Oasis Dream, was a flying machine for Paddy Prendergast as a two-year-old in 1953, the best of her sex in both Ireland (where she won the Phoenix Plate and the Anglesey Stakes) and England (where she ran away with the Cheveley Park). As a daughter of Ballyogan from a Panorama mare, she ran entirely true to her heritage.

Speed is back with avengeance in Oasis Dream, but don’t rule out his chances of getting a mile in the top company, if his owner chooses to go that route.  

PEDIGREE ASSESSMENT

SIRE: GREEN DESERT

Bred by Eaton Farms Inc & Red Bull Stable. $650,000 Keeneland September yearling. Won 5 (5-7f) of 14 races, viz. 2 (July Stakes-Gr3, Flying Childers Stakes-Gr2) out of 5 at 2 years, 3 (Free Handicap, July Cup-Gr1, Haydock Park Sprint Cup-Gr2) out of 9 at 3 years. Also 2nd 4 times, inc. 2,000 Guineas. Timeform 118 at 2, 127 at 3. Earned £222,453.

Small (15.2hh), strong, quality type, and a grand mover. Tough, tenacious and consistent, effective sprinting and at a mile, best on fast ground.

Very well bred, by one of the world’s best sires from an excellent American family. Dam unraced half-sister to 15 winners, inc. 6 of Graded calibre.

Stands at Nunnery Stud, Thetford, Norfolk, at a fee of £60,000 (live foal).  Sire of 13 crops of racing age, inc. notable winners: Redden Burn (Gr2), Sheikh Albadou (Nunthorpe S.-Gr1, Breeders’ Cup Sprint-Gr1, Haydock Park Sprint Cup-Gr1), Absurde (Gr3), Magic Ring (Gr3), Mojave (Gr3), Sahara Star (Gr3), Ardkinglass (Gr3), Desert Shot (Gr3), Gabr (Gr2), Mint Crisp (Gr3), Tropical (Gr3), Owington (July Cup-Gr1), Christmas Gift (Gr3), Desert Style (Gr3), Shahid (Gr3), Cape Cross (Lockinge Stakes-Gr1), Desert Story (Gr3), Desert Prince (Irish 2,000 Guineas-Gr1, Prix du Moulin de Longchamp-Gr1, Queen Elizabeth II Stakes-Gr1), Greenlander (Gr2), Strike Hard (Gr3), Tamarisk (Haydock Park Sprint Cup-Gr1), White Heart (Charles Whittingham H.-Gr1, Churchill Downs Turf Classic S.-Gr1 [twice]), Bint Allayl (Gr2), Waquaas (Gr3), Invincible Spirit (Haydock Park Sprint Cup-Gr1), Rose Gypsy (Poule d’Essai des Pouliches-Gr1), Oasis Dream (Middle Park S.-Gr1, July Cup-Gr1).

DAM: HOPE

Bred by Juddmonte Farms in Ireland. Ran only once, unplaced over 10f at Chantilly as a 3-y-o.

Quite lengthy type, physically resembling her sire more than her dam. Excellent temperament. Suffered severe arthritic condition, leading to fusion of vertebrae. 

Very well bred. Sister to Irish Oaks winner Wemyss Bight (dam of Beat Hollow), half-sister to 5 other winners, inc. New Abbey (Gr3-placed) and Coraline (dam of Gr3 winner Martaline). By an outstanding 12f performer out of a smart middle-distance/staying mare (Listed winner at 11f, disqualified Gr3 ‘winner’ at 15f).

Grand-dam winner, placed 2nd in 3 Irish Classics and in Yorkshire Oaks, bred 7 winners, inc. Classic-placed Eileen Jenny. 3rd dam winning daughter of Sixpence (champion 2-y-o filly in England and Ireland, dam of Santa Anita Derby and Hollywood Derby winner Four-and-Twenty).

To stud at 4 years and died in 2003, having produced: Hopeful Light (1997 g by Warning; dual Listed-winning miler), Harvest (1998 f by Zafonic; unraced), Zenda (1999 f by Zamindar; Classic winner), Oasis Dream (2000 c by Green Desert; dual Gr1 winner). Her yearling, a filly by Selkirk, died earlier this year, but she has a colt-foal by Halling. Barren to Generous in 1996, slipped to Rainbow Quest in 2001.

CONCLUSIONS

After an excellent July Cup performance should continue to top his class at 6f, but may well stay further, given the opportunity.