The world lost its greatest thoroughbred stallion when Galileo was put to sleep on Saturday following a chronic, non responsive injury to his left fore foot.
The legendary bay was 23 years old at the time of his death.
At the time of his passing, Galileo, whose granddaughter Snow Lantern captured Friday’s Gr1 Tattersalls Falmouth Stakes, had been responsible for 338 stakes winners.
Fittingly enough, on the day of his death, Galileo’s son Bolshoi Ballet captured the Gr1 Belmont Derby Invitational.
A son of legendary sire Sadler’s Wells and Arc de Triomphe heroine Urban Sea, Galileo’s total of Gr1 winners, at the time of writing, stands at 92.
He was responsible for more English Derby winners than any other sire in history, with Galileo’s five English Derby winners being New Approach (2008), Ruler Of The World (2013), Australia (2014), Anthony Van Dyck (2019) and Serpentine (2020).
He had enjoyed more classic success this year, with daughters Joan Of Arc and Empress Josephine capturing the Gr1 Prix de Diane Longines and Gr1 Tattersalls Irish 1000 Guineas respectively.
Galileo’s record in the British classics is second to none.
Sea The Stars – champion
At the time of writing, Galileo, whose outstanding half-brother Sea The Stars has also established himself as a top classic sire, has been responsible for five English Derby winners, three 2000 Guineas winners, 4 1000 Guineas winners, four English Oaks winners, and three St Leger winners.
His record in the Breeders’ Cup also makes for impressive reading, with Galileo responsible for four winners, while his tally of Irish Derby winners currently stands at six.
Galileo also pulled off a truly remarkable feat when his offspring Found, Highland Reel and Order Of St George ran 1-2-3 in the 2016 Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, while sons Sixties Icon, The Last Drop and Red Rock pulled off a similar feat in the 2006 St Leger.
The champion sire is also responsible for unbeaten superstar Frankel, the highest rated horse in Timeform history.
Frankel – Galileo’s greatest son
His sire’s greatest son on the racecourse, Frankel has also established himself as the heir apparent to Galileo’s throne, with Frankel’s 17 Gr1 winners headed by this year’s Cazoo Derby winner Adayar and the 2021 Irish Derby winner Hurricane Lane.
At the time of writing, Galileo had been Champion Sire in GB/Ireland on 12 occasions and was also France’s Champion Sire in both 2016 and 2019.
Frankel aside, Galileo has an ever growing list of successful sire sons, headed by Teofilo, New Approach and Australia – that trio have all been responsible for at least one G1 winner in 2021.
His dual G1 winning son Nathaniel is the sire of 11 time G1 winner Enable. Galileo sons Frankel and New Approach also sired the first and third and fourth home respectively in this year’s Cazoo Derby.
Gleneagles
Another son of Galileo to have enjoyed a notable season this year was the Coolmore-based dual Guineas winner Gleneagles – his flagbearers in 2021 including German 1000 Guineas winner Novemba and group winning two-year-old Velocidad.
The legend’s sons Churchill and Highland Reel have both made promising starts to their stud careers.
Inevitably, given his own greatness as a stallion and the quality of mares he covered, Galileo has become an outstanding broodmare sire.
His daughters are responsible for boom sire, and 2000 Guineas/Lockinge Stakes winner Night Of Thunder and fellow 2000 Guineas winners Saxon Warrior, Galileo Gold, and Magna Grecia. Also broodmare sire of this season’s classic winners Snowfall and St Mark’s Basilica, Galileo mares have, to date, produced over 200 stakes winners, including Arc winner Sottsass (like St Mark’s Basilica a son of Siyouni), Oaks winner Qualify, five time Gr1 winner The Autumn Sun, and champion Ghaiyyath.
Galileo also made his mark in a big way in South Africa.
Igugu
From just a handful of runners, the Epsom/Irish Derby winner left behind the likes of Horse Of The Year Igugu, champion Mahbooba and graded stakes winners Alvao, Il Saggiatore, Rain Gal and Sidera, as well as the likes of Guineas runner-up Galileo’s Galaxy and SA Derby second Galileo’s Destiny.
The stakes placed Galileo mare Grail Maiden ranks as the dam of Gr1 South African Derby winner Hero’s Honour and Gr1 Thekwini Stakes runner-up, Railtrip.
A number of sire sons have also made their presence felt in South Africa.
Galileo’s dual graded stakes winning son Global View was the country’s Leading First Season Sire of 2019-2020, while his short-lived Gr1 Racing Post Trophy winning son Kingsbarns came up with the Gr1 winning champion Gabor and Gr2 Concorde Cup winner King Of Gems in a short stud career.
The United States in 2017 at Moutonshoek Stud
Galileo’s Gr1 Ranvet Stakes winning son The United States – an own brother to the Gr1 winning fillies Hermosa and Hydrangea – made an immediate impression with his very first runner being Gr2 4Racing SA Nursery winner, Sheela.
At the time of writing, Galileo has three sire sons at stud in South Africa, while his Derby winning son New Approach is represented in South Africa by his Bush Hill Stud-based dual Gr2 winning son New Predator.
Galileo’s dominance can also be seen in the fact that the 2021 Tattersalls Irish 2000 Guineas winner Mac Swiney is inbred to him. By Galileo’s Derby winning son New Approach, Mac Swiney is out of Halla Na Saoire, a daughter of Galileo’s unbeaten champion Teofilo.
Safe to say, it will be a long time, if ever, before we see the likes of Galileo again.
