Darley stallion Cape Cross was perceived in some quarters as a sire who got better fillies than colts during his time in New Zealand and Australia.

The best of his NZ stock while shuttling to Cambridge Stud (2000-03) were the Group 1 winning fillies Seachange, Kindacross and Gaze.  And the one-dimensional tag didn’t die down when Ouija Board emerged as one of the all-time great mares.  The northern-hemisphere bred daughter of Cape Cross was trained by John Oxx and won 7 Group 1 events in Europe, United States and Hong Kong.

Western Australian horseman Keith Reeves was one studmaster who was convinced Cape Cross could get a horse who could carry on the sireline in Australia.

Reeves and Parkview Thoroughbreds owner Leslie Rintoul purchased Cape North to stand at Nui Mara Stud in WA and, in hindsight, that was a inspired decision now that Cape Cross colt Sea The Stars has developed into a world-class galloper in Great Britain.

Sea The Stars is also prepared by Oxx and they have been on a journey for the ages this year winning the English 2000 Guineas, Epsom Derby, Eclipse Stakes, Juddmonte International and Irish Champion Stakes.  Timeform has already rated him at 140 which placed him on a par with Shergar, Dancing Brave and Dubai Millennium.

The Arc de Triomphe is next on the agenda and a win at Longchamp could see him join Mill Reef on 141.  Only the legendary Brigadier Gerard (144) has been allotted a higher ranking by Timeform since 1970.

Cape North (NZ) is the only Cape Cross sire available in the southern hemisphere and will stand his third season at Nui Mara for a $2,750 service fee.  He has covered over 60 mares in each of his first two seasons at the Boyanup nursery.

Cape North (Cape Cross – Olga Palosky by Crested Wave) is a younger half-brother to Art Ruler (Slavic) who won the Ashburton 2YO Classic in NZ before being sold to Hong Kong where he won a further five racing as Magic Temple.

Their dam is a half-sister to the Zabeel G2 winner Zareyev (STC Tulloch Stakes-G2) and his brother Holy Grail who won 6 races in Sydney.  Second dam Olga’s Pal (Straight Strike) was a G1 winner of the NZ One Thousand Guineas at Riccarton and the G2 Desert Gold Stakes at Trentham.

Cape North won the G2 West Australian Guineas (1600m) and Listed Detonator Stakes (1800m) in a 20 start career for trainer Fred Kersley.

“Cape North was a tough, willing racehorse whose constitution, temperament and work ethic made him a pleasure to have in my stable,” Kersley recalled shortly after the horse pulled up lame in the 2007 VRC Australian Cup won by Pompeii Ruler.

“He displayed speed, talent, class and resolve and was one of the best and most athletic horses I have ever trained.”

Not a bad tribute from a trainer who also won a race or two with a horse called Northerly!