WHEN the Group 1 Derby runner-up Maltese Cross passed the post in front after the Group 1 Grand Prix de Paris, there was much to celebrate about the victory.

One reason was that the son of Sea The Stars (Cape Cross) is the 25th Group or Grade 1 winner by his Gilltown Stud-based sire, marking a landmark achievement for the brilliant six-time winner at the highest level. Days later, and that tally rose to 26, thanks to Johanna Walsh. The win in France had further significance as this was the first Group 1 success as a broodmare sire for Camelot (Montjeu). Maltese Cross was second to Camelot’s son Christmas Day at Epsom, and that winner is out of a daughter of the Gilltown stallion.

Sea The Stars also sired the winner of the Grand Prix de Paris with Sosie in 2024. That colt has gone on to add three more top-flight wins to his tally of victories, and connections of Maltese Cross feel he can do likewise. Winning rider Tom Marquand said: “He is a genuinely top-class horse and certainly has no shortage of speed over 12 furlongs.”

Owner George Waud said after the race: “Time and time again, he delivers because he has all the ability but also such a good brain. Second in the Derby was one of the best days of my life, but winning a Group 1 is comparable.” Maureen Haggas added: “He’s tough and has a strong will-to-win, which is one of his greatest attributes. We always felt he’d be a very nice four-year-old and that the best was yet to come, so there are a lot of positive things to take out of this.”

Jacques Rossi

Maltese Cross was bred by Ecurie du Sud and Jean-Francois Gribomont, selling for €200,000 as a foal at the Arqana Breeding Stock Sale to Stauffenberg Bloodstock. He was reoffered as a Tattersalls Book 1 yearling, where he fetched 350,000gns. This win was poignant for the team at Normandy’s Ecurie du Sud. The farm is owned by Christiane Rossi, and her husband Jacques died last November. How proud he would have been to witness this success.

Jacques Rossi bought the winner’s dam Nabatea (Camelot) as a five-year-old for €110,000 at Arqana, carrying her second foal, Namouria (Adlerflug). Nabatea was a winner at four in Belgium, and her sale prospects were not helped by the note in the catalogue that her filly foal born that year was injured, rendering her useless for racing. This is a form of honesty rarely seen on a catalogue page. However, Namouria repaid Rossi and Gribomont when she sold as a foal for €135,000, and has twice been placed in listed races.

Namouria was followed by another filly, Naba Queen (Persian King), a €110,000 foal who placed last year at three in France, at a track I never heard of before, Evreux. Maltese Cross is Nabatea’s fourth foal and second winner, and is followed by Prince Of Petra (Persian King), a €65,000 yearling who is unraced to date.

Not entered

A look at the catalogue for the Arqana August Yearling Sale shows that the yearling full-sister to Maltese Cross is not entered, but she now has an immense value. She is followed by a filly, born in the spring, by Charyn (Dark Angel).

While winning a small race in Belgium was perhaps of little importance, it did have a significance in another way. It means that every one of the first 11 foals from the Group 3-placed Neele (Peintre Celebre) are winners. That tally could rise, as she has a three-year-old colt Nachtwolf (Australia) and a yearling colt by Sottsass (Siyouni).

This is a family that achieved almost all of its greatness in Germany, but showed it was up to a greater international status too. In the third remove you will find the Group 1 Prix Jean Prat winner Intellogent (Intello), while descending from the fourth dam is dual Hong Kong Group 1 hero Pakistan Star (Shamardal). Now Maltese Cross is another who has shown his ability away from Germany.

Group 1 winners

Closer to home, Maltese Cross’s dam Nabatea is a half-sister to two Group 1 winners. First to achieve that honour was the Grosser Preis von Berlin winner Nymphea (Dylan Thomas), her dam’s first foal, and she was joined a couple of years later by the Deutsches (German) Derby winner Nutan (Duke Of Marmalade), the third produce of Neele. Her great start at stud continued, as foals number four and five were the listed winner Nazbanou (High Chaparral) and Group 3 winner and Group 1 Prix Jean Romanet-placed Navaro Girl (Holy Roman Emperor)

Neele is a full-sister to Night Of Magic (Peintre Celebre). Much of this family was bred by Alexander Pereira, who had mares in Ireland for many years. He bred the Group 2 Oaks d’Italia heroine Night Of Magic. The race held Group 1 status but was downgraded two years before Night Of Magic gained her only racecourse success in it. She went on to breed two-time Group 1 Preis von Europa winner Nightflower (Dylan Thomas).

As a sire, Sea The Stars’ record stands comparison with all the greats in Europe. He is fast closing in on 150 stakes winners on the flat, and his top-flight winners include 10 who won twice or more at that level. Stars among them include Stradivarius (seven), Baaeed (six), and Sosie (four), while Daryz and Star Catcher won three each. Maltese Cross and Johanna Walsh could yet join that elite group.

Camelot mares

Camelot mares mate especially well with Sea The Stars, and three of his 21 blacktype horses out of his daughters are by the Gilltown flagbearer. Maltese Cross is the obvious standout, while the stakes winner and Group 1 Prix Jean Romanet third, Grand Stars, was another. She sold to Newsells Park Stud for €800,000 before she gained her Group 1 place.

Keep an eye out for the third blacktype earner bred on this cross. I’m The One won her maiden at Newbury by six lengths before being sent off favourite for the Listed Cheshire Oaks. She was second that day to Amelia Earhart (Camelot), but she had to miss the Oaks due to a setback. Her return to racing will be keenly anticipated.

Now a hale and hearty 20-year-old, hopefully Sea The Stars has a few more seasons left in him at stud. He has always featured prominently on the leading sires table, and would be a truly deserving champion sire. He is a very rare example of a stallion whose fee only moved in one direction. He stood at first for €85,000 (2010-14), €125,000 (2015-17), €135,000 (2018 and 2019), €150,000 (2020-22), and then one year each at €180,000 (2023), €200,000 (2024), €250,000 (2025) and €300,000 (2026). Only Frankel and Dubawi stand for more.