| Green Desert Pensioned |
Green Desert has been pensioned and will see out his retirement at Nunnery Stud in England where he has stood since 1990. He failed to get any of his mares into foal during the 2011 season, hence the decision to retire him from the breeding shed.
Green Desert is the broodmare sire of KZN’s champion stallion Kahal, standing at Summerhill Stud. Daughters of Green Desert are represented by more than 75 stakes winners to date.
By Danzig out of the Sir Ivor mare Foreign Courier, he was bred in Kentucky by Red Bull Stable and Eaton Farm, and purchased by Darley Stud Management for $650,000 from the 1984 Keeneland September yearling sale. Racing for Sheikh Maktoum, he won 5 of 14 starts at the track.
He is sire of more than 97 stakes winners whose progeny have earned in excess of $43 million, as well as becoming a reputable Sire-Of-Sires such as Oasis Dream (sire of Midday and Tuscan Evening, both group 1 winners), Cape Cross (sire of Sea The Stars and Oija Board, Behkabad and Able One) and Invincible Spirit (sire of Vale Of York and Lawman, Hooray and Yosei), Aqlaam who stands along side him, Naqoos and Arcano.
From his first crop he produced 1991 Breeders’ Cup Sprint (gr. I) winner and European champion sprinter Sheikh Albadou. In 2010 Markab won the Grade 1 Haydock Sprint Cup and his daughter Maqaasid became his 14th Royal Ascot winner, after she won the Grade 2 Queen Mary Stakes recently.