Boasting good fertility, Desert King has even managed to get one of the oldest Victorian based broodmares in foal this season – Melbourne Cup heroine Jezabeel’s dam Passefleur aged 25. 

She was part of an impressive harem for Desert King – other mares served including the stakes winners Flaming Heart, Sauvignon Valley and ‘Tis Love and the metropolitan winners All Singing, Amoroof, Figuretta, Rada, Southern Bound, Whittier Miss, Guide, Hazy Eyes, I Want You Back and Just Heaven.

Daughters of Encosta de Lago, Centaine, Street Cry, Fairy King, Bianconi, Success Express, Canny Lad, Salieri, Archway, Zabeel, Royal Academy, Brave Warrior, Rubiton, Bletchingly, Hurricane Sky, Red Ransom, Jugah, Montjeu, Grand Lodge, Grosvenor, Rory’s Jester and Scenic also visited Desert King as did the dams of the stakes winners Thong Classic and Suspicion and the city winners Palace Lover, Scuderia, Ash The Toff, She’s A Gal, Tictacs, Regal Dash, Blackbriar and Jetstyle Express.

Other nice mares served by Desert King included sisters to the stakes winners Paseana (Gr.1 Breeders’ Cup Distaff), Weekend Delight (Gr.1 VRC Oaks), Black Bean (Gr.1 Galaxy), Just Call Me Sir (Gr.1 Kelt Capital Stakes), Sir Dex, Centaleigh, Flawlessly, Royal Sonata, Prince Haze, Island Gossip, Polaire, Bourbon Boy, Sugar I Think, Waikikamukau, Silver Circuit, Hero Wind, Golden Mirage and Catatonic.

Mares also on his list hailed from the families of the Gr.1 winners Redoute’s Choice, Pillaging, Reward For Effort, Tears I Cry, Concert King/Use The Space,  Tierce, Unworldly/Northern Drake, Khaptingly, Strategic, Bureaucracy, Ready Or Not, Bullwinkle, Kensington Palace, She’s Archie, Barathea, Surround/Balmerino, Pindi, Regal Krona, Luskin Star, Peintre Celebre, Emancipation, Piavonic, Rebecca Sharp and Episode.

Desert King’s oldest Victorian bred horses are only just starting their careers and there is of course a three year gap in his local stud career – a time in which he did not shuttle to Australia and stayed in Japan. Unfortunately there are also no yearlings for 2010 sales courtesy of EI.

But racegoers will still have memories of the impact Desert King made when he first arrived in Australia. The likes of Makybe Diva and Desert War who between them won an amazing 13 Gr.1 races.

And such outstanding stakes winners as Lachlan River (Queensland Derby), Basra, Mohican Brave, Roman Squire and up-and-coming stayer Banana Man.

This success is on the back of a great job done by Desert King in Europe where his best progeny included the Gr.1 winners Mr Dinos
(Champion French older horse ), Darsalam (Champion European Stayer ) and Chelsea Rose ( 3rd leading 2yo filly in Ireland ).