Desert Sun, sire of the great Sunline and broodmare sire of unbeaten sprinter Black Caviar, has died at Eliza Park Stud in Victoria at the age of 24.
Desert Sun and Willie Ryan win at Doncaster in 1991
Bred in Britain by Charlton Down Stud, Desert Sun was trained by Sir Henry Cecil to win twice and finish placed in the 1991 Jersey Stakes and Group 2 Forte Mile the following season.
The son of Green Desert initially stood at stud in New Zealand, where his most famous offspring is Sunline, whose 32 wins included 13 Group 1 races and two Cox Plates. More recently another of Desert Sun’s daughters, Helsinge, has been in the spotlight as the dam of the outstanding Black Caviar, winner of her 22nd consecutive victory on Saturday in the Diamond Jubilee Stakes.
Other performers of note include the Group 1 winner Our Egyptian Raine, Adelaide Cup winner Lacey Underall and Greenham Stakes winner Salford City.
Bought in 1999 by Australia’s Eliza Park Stud, which is also the home of Black Caviar’s sire Bel Esprit and her close relation Magnus, Desert Sun returned ‘home’ for stints at stud in the northern hemisphere, with reverse-shuttle visits to the National Stud in Newmarket and Oak Lodge Stud in Ireland.
Desert Sun was retired from active duty at Eliza Park in 2010.
