While the venerable old Green Desert was responsible for the winner of the G1 Haydock Sprint Cup, Markab, another two of his sons, both now retired to the stallion barn, showed exactly why the veteran has come to be regarded as a sire of sires.
Laaheb, a progressive four-year-old son of Cape Cross (pictured), led from start to finish in the G3 September Stakes at Kempton, dominating proceedings and kicking well clear of his rivals from the home turn.
Bred by Darley, Laaheb races for Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum from the Michael Jarvis stable. His dam Maskunah, by Sadler’s Wells, was unraced but well bred, being a half-sister to the accomplished quartet of Luso, Warrsan, Needle Gun and Cloud Castle.
Laaheb was chased home for second by another Darley-bred, Holberg, a son of Halling, who won last year’s G3 Queen’s Vase at Royal Ascot.
There was more black type for Cape Cross at Kempton when his two-year-old son Signs In The Sand took second in the preceding race, the G3 Sirenia Stakes.
In Italy, Kheleyf colt Meracus landed his second Listed win with victory in the Premio Toscana. The two-year-old colt was bred by Eoin and Stephanie Hanly and is out of the Common Grounds mare Miss Progressive. He also won the Listed Criterium Labronico on 15 August.
