Few two-year-olds in training can boast of the pedigree of Sea To The Stars and Sunday saw him take a major step in a bid to emulate his illustrious relatives.
By Darley stallion Cape Cross, he was bred by Sunderland Holdings out of the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winner Urban Sea, making him a half-brother to the G1 winners Galileo, Black Sam Bellamy and My Typhoon as well as G3 scorer Urban Ocean. This list does not finish there; there is a pair of Stakes winners as well in All Too Beautiful and Melikah, both of whom were placed in classics. Other illustrious relatives include, Darley stallion King's Best and recent Prix Jacques le Marois scorer Tamayuz. He has a lot to live up to!
Well, his career could not be more promising at the moment after his easy success at Leopardstown. A close fourth on debut, he put his experience to good use to race close to the pace in a typically competitive Maiden and never looked in danger, scoring easily by two-and-a-half lengths. He was so impressive that bookmaker's representatives were soon quoting his Derby odds as short as 12/1.
His trainer John Oxx believes he will be better still on less testing going and has lined up a possible tilt at the National or Beresford Stakes next for the imposing bay.
Another Cape Cross colt to offer distinct encouragement for the future was Monday's Lingfield winner, War Native. After making a winning debut at Newmarket, he lined up for a seven-furlong (1400m) Novice Stakes and although he raced choke out for much of the race, he still had the ability to win by a length-and-a-quarter. A step up in grade now looks likely and he holds entries in the G1 National and Dewhurst Stakes and the G2 Champagne and Royal Lodge Stakes.
Bred and owned by Ballygallon Stud Limited, he is the first foal out of French G3 winning mare Walkamia, who was also placed twice at the top level.
Sea The Stars and War Native are both products of Cape Cross's best book of mares so far. Retired to stud in 2001 and standing at IR£8,000, Cape Cross soon established himself as a potential star, siring 28 individual two-year-old winners including superstar Ouija Board. As a result he covered 126 mares in 2005, which included 70 Stakes mares and 58 Stakes horse producers.
