The world’s number one sire, Galileo, was once again to the fore at last week’s Royal Ascot meeting, writes Sarah Whitelaw.
Not for the first time, Galileo totally dominated proceedings, with the mighty son of Sadler’s Wells being responsible for no fewer than five winners during the five day festival. (Galileo is also broodmare sire of Galileo Gold, the winner of the Gr1 St James’s Palace Stakes on the first day of 2016 Royal Ascot).
Galileo
Remarkably, Galileo’s Ascot winners came over distances ranging from 1400 to 4000m!
Galileo’s winners included Order Of St George, an emphatic three length winner of the Gr1 Ascot Gold Cup (the colt, an 11 length winner of the Gr1 Irish St Leger last year, had paternal half brother, Mizzou, back in second place). Interestingly, Order Of St George is a first Ascot Gold Cup winner for Galileo, whose son Kingfisher ran a close second in the race last year.
Galileo’s great son, Frankel, whose first 2yo runners have made such a devastating impression, also made a mark at the Royal meeting this year, with daughter, Queen Kindly, and son, Cunco, finishing third in the Gr3 Albany Stakes and Listed Chesham Stakes respectively. (Another son, Frankuus finished fifth in the Chesham).
Frankel (Galileo – Kind)
Frankel himself enjoyed great success at Royal Ascot, where his wins included both the Gr1 St James’s Palace Stakes and G1 Queen Anne Stakes.
Another undefeated son of Galileo, Teofilo (his sire’s best sire son to date) got on the score board too, when his son, Portage, won Wednesday’s Royal Hunt Cup.
Scat Daddy –what a loss!
There can be no denying that breeding lost a serious stallion when Scat Daddy died last year (he was just 11 years old at the time of his death).
The son of former Royal Ascot winner, Johannesburg, has certainly made his presence felt at Ascot , his daughters, Acapulco and Lady Aurelia, having won the Gr2 Queen Mary Stakes in 2015 and 2016 respectively, while his undefeated son, Caravaggio, made it three wins from as many outings when striding out an impressive winner of the Gr2 Coventry Stakes on Tuesday.
Another son of the former Florida Derby winner, No Nay Never, also won at Royal Ascot and is now based at Coolmore, having landed the Gr2 Norfolk Stakes in 2013.
French Gr1 winning mares make their mark
A pair of former French Group 1 winning matrons were both strongly represented at this year’s Ascot festival. The immortal Arc winner, Urban Sea, (whose descendants dominated the recent Investec sponsored Epsom classics) was once again to the fore thanks to the above mentioned Galileo.
Sea The Stars – champion
Her other great son, Sea The Stars, was also on the winners’ board at Ascot, with his son, Across The Stars, landing the Gr2 King Edward VII Stakes on Friday. (Ironically, Across The Stars beat Beacon Rock, a son of his sire’s half brother, Galileo, into second place). Five of the nine runners in the King Edward VII were sons of either Galileo or Sea The Stars!
That’s The Spirit
Another former star, French Oaks (Prix De Diane) heroine, Rafha, was another top class broodmare who had a pair of sire sons enjoy success at the 2016 Ascot meeting.
Invincible Spirit
Her son, Invincible Spirit, whose 13 individual Gr1 winners include Horse Of The Year, Kingman, is the sire of this season’s top class sprinter, Profitable, who made it three pattern race wins on the trot when successful in the Gr1 King’s Stand Stakes. (The colt had previously won the G2 Temple Stakes and Gr3 Palace House Stakes).
Invincible Spirit’s Danehill half brother, Kodiac, has been a rags to riches sire success story, in that the Tally-Ho Stud sire (who began his stud career at a fee reportedly under €5,000) enjoyed a pair of 2yo winners at Royal Ascot this year.
Kodiac’s first Ascot strike in 2016 came with Ardad in the Listed Windsor Castle Stakes – with the undefeated colt running out an easy three and a quarter length winner of the 1000m 2yo contest. (Kodiac’s half brother Invincible Spirit was responsible for Windsor Castle third, Pedestal). Kodiac, whose past top offspring include champion 2yo filly, Tiggy Wiggy, struck again just 48 hours later when his son, Prince Of Lir, upset a few highly regarded rivals to take the Gr2 Norfolk Stakes on Wednesday.
Good success for Pivotal sons, Danehill Dancer
Rather like Kodiac, Pivotal is another example of a sire who made it himself.
Pivotal
The former Royal Ascot winner (Pivotal won the 1996 King’s Stand Stakes) was not himself represented by an Ascot winner this year, but had two sire sons strike gold at the Royal meeting.
First of the Pivotal sons to score was the now Indian based, Excellent Art, (himself a former Royal Ascot winner and successful in the Gr1 St James’s Palace Stakes). The latter is the sire of Primitivo, who was successful on Thursday in the King George V Stakes.
Another Pivotal son, Kyllachy, who stands alongside his sire in Newmarket, went close to enjoying a rare Gr1 double at Ascot this year, when his son, Twilight Son, (who is from the same family as charismatic Equus Champion and young sire, What A Winter) landed Saturday’s Gr1 Diamond Jubilee Stakes, while another son, Kachy, ran a remarkable second in the G1 Commonwealth Cup, despite hanging all over the place.
The pensioned Danehill Dancer was another top notch sire to enjoy good success at Royal Ascot this year.
Danehill Dancer
One of the very best sons of Danehill, the stallion is responsible for Gr1 Coronation Stakes winner, Qemah (another Danehill Dancer Coronation Stakes winner is Lillie Langtry – dam of 2016 Investec Oaks heroine Minding). Danehill Dancer’s four time Gr1 winning son, Mastercraftsman, added to his sire’s success when his daughter, Even Song, picked up the G2 Ribblesdale Stakes on Thursday.
