Dam of Derby winner Desert Crown to be sold at Tattersalls December Sale

Desert Berry, dam of this year's brilliant Derby winner Desert Crown, will be among a galaxy of stars to sell at the inaugural Sceptre Sessions at this year's Tattersalls December Mares Sale.

Gary Robinson, who bred the unbeaten son of Nathaniel, has decided to offer the 13-year-old daughter of Green Desert carrying a full-sibling to Desert Crown on a May 4 covering.

As well as the Dante and Derby winner, who suffered a season-ending setback in the run-up to the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes in July, Desert Berry is the dam of four more winners, all by Archipenko. They are led by the Sha Tin Group 3 Premier Cup winner Flying Thunder.

With a perfect record of five winners from five runners, Desert Berry has shown herself to be a top-class broodmare and her Study Of Man half-brother to Desert Crown will be one of the main draws at Tattersalls Book 1 next month, where he will be consigned by Robinson's Strawberry Fields Stud.

"Desert Berry has been an absolute star for us," said Robinson. "Having studied thoroughbred bloodlines all my life breeding a Derby winner is an absolute pinnacle and I am immensely proud to have bred Desert Crown."

The foal full-brother to Derby winner Desert CrownCredit: Strawberry Fields Stud

Robinson also has a colt full-brother to Desert Crown, who he sold for 280,000gns to Blandford Bloodstock for Saeed Suhail at Book 2 in 2020.

The engineer, whose remarkable life story and singular approach to breeding led to Desert Crown's Derby triumph is not letting go of the bloodlines which brought him to the pinnacle of the sport.

"Desert Berry is a superb individual with an impeccable breeding record and I have retained two of her daughters in whom I have great confidence," he added.

They are Rose Berry, a winning daughter of Archipenko, who is also in foal to Nathaniel, and her two-year-old Al Kazeem half-sister.

Desert Berry is a daughter of Foreign Language, one of the four original mares from whom Robinson began his breeding venture with Basil White. She won a Lingfield maiden at three for Chris Wall.

Foreign Language is a product of Juddmonte breeding; a winning daughter of Distant View, she is a half-sister to Binche the dam of four-time Grade 1 winner Proviso, Byword who won the Prince Of Wales's Stakes, Group 2 winner and Group 1-placed Finche and Baratti who was a Listed winner and Group 1-placed at two.

Edmund Mahony, chairman of Tattersalls remarked: "It is rare for the dam of a Derby winner to be offered for sale, and even rarer in the year of the Derby triumph. Desert Crown is an outstanding Derby winner and Desert Berry will undoubtedly be one of the highlights of our inaugural Sceptre Sessions."

"It is a pleasure and a privilege to offer such an exceptional broodmare on behalf of Gary Robinson, and the depth and international appeal of her pedigree make her an enticing prospect for breeders from throughout the world."

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