Desert King (31 March 1994 – 11 August 2021) was a

Thoroughbred The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed. Thoroughbreds are c ...

racehorse Horse racing is an equestrian performance sport, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its basic pr ...

. Desert King won the

Irish Derby The Irish Derby (Irish: Dearbaí na hÉireann) is a Group 1 flat horse race in Ireland open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at the Curragh over a distance of 1 ...

Stakes and

Irish 2,000 Guineas The Irish 2,000 Guineas is a Group 1 flat horse race in Ireland open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at the Curragh over a distance of 1 mile (1,609 metres), and it is ...

and was the sire of 13 stakes winners with 34 stakes wins including Makybe Diva (GB). He was a bay son of Danehill (USA) and he was inbred to

Northern Dancer Northern Dancer (May 27, 1961 – November 16, 1990) was a Thoroughbred who, in 1964, became the first Canadian-bred horse to win the Kentucky Derby. He then became one of the most successful sires of the 20th century. He is considered a Canad ...

in the third generation (3m x 3f).

Racing career

Desert King was trained by

Aidan O'Brien Aidan Patrick O'Brien (born 16 October 1969 in County Wexford, Ireland) Aidan O'Brien bio NTRA. ...

, and carried the colours of

Michael Tabor Michael Barry Tabor (born 28 October 1941) is a British businessman, bookmaker, gambler and owner of thoroughbred racehorses. Tabor regularly appears on the ''Sunday Times Rich List'' of the richest people in Britain. In 2012 his fortune w ...

Christy Roche Christy Roche (born 3 December 1949 in Bansha, County Tipperary) is a retired Irish flat racing Champion Jockey and racehorse trainer. Over his thirty-year career between 1968 and 1998 he won the Irish Derby three times, in 1982, 1992 and 199 ...

was his jockey for ten of his twelve lifetime starts. He started on 12 occasions, winning five races, and placing second in another five. His notable victories include the

National Stakes The Vincent O'Brien National Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Ireland open to two-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at the Curragh over a distance of 7 furlongs (1,408 metr ...

and

Irish Derby Stakes The Irish Derby ( Irish: Dearbaí na hÉireann) is a Group 1 flat horse race in Ireland open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at the Curragh over a distance of ...

. Despite winning the first two legs of the

Triple Crown Triple Crown may refer to: Sports Horse racing * Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing * Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing (United States) ** Triple Crown Trophy ** Triple Crown Productions * Canadian Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing * Trip ...

, he was not aimed at the third leg, the

Irish St. Leger The Irish St Leger is a Group 1 flat horse race in Ireland open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at the Curragh over a distance of 1 mile and 6 furlongs (2,816 metres), and it i ...

, due to stamina doubts.

Stud record

This son of Danehill retired to stud in 1998 at

Coolmore Stud Coolmore Stud, in Fethard, County Tipperary, Ireland, is headquarters of the world's largest breeding operation of thoroughbred racehorses. Through its racing arm, Ballydoyle, Coolmore also has raced many classic winners and champions. The operat ...

in Ireland, as the Champion 3yo of his year and winner of over A$1,590,532 in stakes. His progeny include Makybe Diva,

Chelsea Rose Chelsea Rose (foaled 11 February 2002) is an Irish Thoroughbred racehorse and broodmare. In a track career which lasted from June 2004 until September 2006 she raced in four different countries and won five races over distances ranging from si ...

, Mr Dinos, Desert War, Lachlan River, winner of the

Queensland Derby The Queensland Derby is a Brisbane Racing Club Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds at, set weights, run over a distance of 2400 metres at Eagle Farm Racecourse, Brisbane, Australia in June during the Queensland Winter Racing Carn ...

and the multiple Group 1 winning European champion stayer Mr Dinos and Darsalam. Desert King returned to Australia in 2005 as a shuttle stallion after a notable absence of three years. Promoted as a Lynden Park stallions sire, Desert King stood at Bombora Downs in Victoria for A$9,900.00 alongside the Danzig stallion and European champion racehorse Golden Snake. Desert King also stood in Japan at East Stud for the northern hemisphere seasons until 2006. His

Northern Hemisphere The Northern Hemisphere is the half of Earth that is north of the Equator. For other planets in the Solar System, north is defined as being in the same celestial hemisphere relative to the invariable plane of the solar system as Earth's Nort ...

base was Scarvagh House Stud in

Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is variously described as a country, province or region. Nort ...

. He was pensioned from stud duties in 2018 and died peacefully in his sleep at Lauriston Park Victoria on 11 August 2021 aged 27.

Pedigree

* Desert King is

inbred Inbreeding is the production of offspring from the mating or breeding of individuals or organisms that are closely related genetically. By analogy, the term is used in human reproduction, but more commonly refers to the genetic disorders and o ...

3 × 3 to the stallion Northern Dancer. This also means that Desert King is inbred to

Nearctic The Nearctic realm is one of the eight biogeographic realms constituting the Earth's land surface. The Nearctic realm covers most of North America, including Greenland, Central Florida, and the highlands of Mexico. The parts of North America t ...

and

Natalma Natalma (March 26, 1957 – January 29, 1985) was an American-bred Thoroughbred racehorse best known as the dam (mother) of the most important sire, and sire of sires, of the late 20th Century, Northern Dancer. She also established a highly inf ...

4 × 4, Desert King is also inbred 4 × 4 × 4 to Natalma.

References

{{reflist 1994 racehorse births 2021 racehorse deaths Racehorses bred in Ireland Racehorses trained in Ireland Irish Classic Race winners Thoroughbred family 1-k