While he enjoyed no luck in last week’s Epsom classics, the world’s premier stallion Galileo once again exerted his dominance in Friday’s Gr1 Cazoo Oaks and Saturday’s Gr1 Cazoo Derby.
Not only did Galileo’s Gr3 Give Thanks Stakes winning daughter Best In The World (a full-sister to Arc winner Found) supply the brilliant, 16 length Oaks winning Snowfall (Deep Impact) another daughter of Galileo, Divinely (a full-sister to the dam of Snowfall) ran third in the Oaks, with Galileo mare Bark responsible for the fourth placed filly Save A Forest.
Snowfall as a baby
Bred on the same Deep Impact/Galileo cross as Gr1 Qipco 2000 Guineas/G1 Racing Post Trophy winning sire Saxon Warrior, Snowfall is the second English Oaks winner produced by a Galileo mare following Qualify (Fastnet Rock) in 2015.
Remarkably, all of the past seven Oaks winners have Galileo in their pedigrees, while nine of the last ten Oaks winners carry the Coolmore legend in her pedigreee – the one exception being Taghrooda -who was sired by Galileo’s half-brother Sea The Stars.
Galileo, whose half-brother Sea The Stars is also the sire of the Cazoo Derby runner-up Mojo Star, also made his presence felt in Saturday’s Derby.
Frankel son Adayar wins the Derby
The winner Adayar was sired by Galileo’s unbeaten son Frankel, whose three-year-olds continue to impress this season.
Frankel was also responsible for the third home Hurricane Lane, while Derby fourth place finisher Mac Swiney was sired by a Derby winning son of Galileo in the form of New Approach, with Mac Swiney’s dam Halla Na Saoire a daughter of Galileo’s unbeaten son Teofilo.
Between them, Galileo, sire of beaten Derby favourite Bolshoi Ballet, and his sons were responsible for six of the 11 Derby runners.
Galileo
Sire of more English Derby winners (five) than any other stallion in history, Galileo has now been responsible for two sons to have sired English Derby winners – his Derby winning son New Approach is the sire of 2018 Derby winner Masar.
Remarkably, Galileo also made his presence felt in Sunday’s Gr1 Qatar Prix du Jockey Club (French Derby), with his Gr3 winning daughter Cabaret (also dam of the classic winning sire Magna Grecia) the dam of the impressive French Derby winner St Mark’s Basilica (Siyouni). The latter was making it a classic double with the top-class colt having captured the Gr1 Emirates Poule d’Essai des Poulains (French 2000 Guineas) last time out.
This season’s English and Irish classics have been dominated by Galileo descendants – not for a first time and not, in all likelihood, for a last time.
New Approach’s 2000 Guineas winning son Dawn Approach is the sire of 2021 2000 Guineas winner Poetic Flare, while New Approach is the sire of Tattersalls Irish 2000 Guineas victor Mac Swiney, and Galileo is sire of Empress Josephine and Joan Of Arc-the first two home in this year’s Tattersalls Irish 1000 Guineas.
Gleneagles – sired German 1000 Giuineas winner Novemba
Galileo sons have been enjoying a steady stream of success this year, with the sire’s dual Guineas winning son Gleneagles the sire of this year’s German 1000 Guineas winner Novemba, Galileo’s Gr1 Ranvet Stakes hero The United States coming up with a very smart filly, Sheela, from his first crop, and dual Derby winner Australia supplying a string of stakes winners, including Gr1 Prix Ganay hero Mare Australis.
Three of Galileo’s top sons on the racecourse, Churchill, Decorated Knight and Highland Reel, all recently got off the mark as stallions, suggesting the final page in the Galileo story is a long way from being penned.
Churchill, Decorated Knight, Gleneagles and last season’s South African Leading First Season Sire Global View were all sired by Galileo out of daughters of Storm Cat.
