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Veteran sire Cape Cross has died at the age of 23 at Darley’s Kildangan Stud in Ireland.
Cape Cross, an irish-bred son of Green Desert was euthanized due to complications from old age. He had been pensioned from stud duties last year.
Cape Cross, winner of five races including the G1 Lockinge Stakes in track record time, was a foundation sire of Darley’s global breeding operation.His progeny have included the champions Golden Horn, Sea The Stars, Ouija Board. His best southern hemisphere-bred progeny include G1 winners Seachange, Able One, Gaze, He’s Your Man and Kindacross.
Cape Cross was one of only 17 stallions to have produced more than one English Derby winner."He has been an integral part of the Godolphin and Darley stories, and an integral part of Kildangan," said Darley’s Joe Osborne.
"He was our first major success as a stallion. He was champion first-season sire and went on to sire a collection of outstanding racehorses, who left their mark in some of the world's great races."As an individual, he was the boss. You did it his way. He very much ruled the roost.”
Cape Cross entered stud in Ireland in 2000 and the same year started shuttling to the southern hemisphere, first to Cambridge Stud in New Zealand and then to Darley’s Kelvinside Stud in Australia.Retired from stallion duties in 2016, he is credited as the sire of 1631 progeny to race, 1084 winners, earnings of over $130 million, 108 stakes winners and 87 stakes placegetters.
He was Champion Sire in France in 2009, and Champion GB and Ireland Sire of 2YOs in 2003.