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Who are the colts and fillies in Galileo's final crop of 13?
John Ingles takes a look at the pedigrees among Galileo's small final crop of two-year-olds.
When Galileo’s sons Jan Brueghel and Illinois fought out the finish of the St Leger earlier this month, they maintained their sire’s remarkably consistent record of producing classic winners. With the exception of his 2006 foals, there has been at least one English or Irish classic winner in every one of Galileo’s crops. Even then, though, a member of that crop, Sans Frontieres, did his best to fill the gap by winning the all-age Irish St Leger as a four-year-old.
Galileo’s final crop, currently aged two, numbers just thirteen individuals, one of whom, a colt named Che, is in the USA, so the odds are stacked against him having one final classic winner among them, but there may yet be a few more good winners to come before the Galileo era ends for good.
His small final crop has a big imbalance sex-wise, numbering only four fillies. One of those is Eternal Spirit, the last daughter of Galileo that Aidan O’Brien will train. She’s out of Anna Karenina (Timeform rating 109), a listed winner over an extended nine furlongs at Gowran as a four-year-old. She has bred several winners and was mated regularly with Galileo, their best produce together being Battle of Marengo (117), who won the Beresford Stakes at two and the Ballysax Stakes and Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial at three before finishing fourth in the Derby and second in the King Edward VII Stakes.
The two named colts at Ballydoyle from Galileo’s final crop are Medallion and Stay True. Out of the smart Australian mare Amicus (winner of the Thousand Guineas at Caulfield), Medallion is bred to need middle distances. One of his brothers, Chief Little Rock, did win his maiden at two last year before finishing second in the Beresford and Autumn Stakes but he ran his best race when winning the Gallinule Stakes at the Curragh in May. His other brother Okita Sushi didn’t make a winning debut until June of his three-year-old season over a mile and a half and ran his career best (rated 114) when successful two years later in the Duke of Edinburgh Stakes at Royal Ascot.
Stay True was a 400,000 guineas purchase a foal. He’s the result of a mating between Galileo and a sprinter which has proven such a successful formula. His useful dam Bounce (103), trained by Henry Candy, was a maiden winner at two and placed in listed company at four. Bounce’s three-year-old filly Minnie Wildes (by Bated Breath) looked a good prospect when making a facile winning debut in a six-furlong maiden at Ffos Las for Charlie Fellowes last month.
Donnacha O’Brien trains the colts Kilmeaden and Lombardi Trophy. Kilmeaden is out of a half-sister to smart sprinter Lightning Moon and is closely related to three-year-old filly More Than A Feelin who won a handicap at Wolverhampton over an extended mile in July. Lombardi Trophy is the final foal from a series of repeat matings between Galileo and two-year-old six-furlong listed winner Chanting (103), a daughter of Danehill. While Lombardi Trophy has four winning siblings, none are of real note although the fillies Easter Lily and Circling picked up some black type.
There was naturally plenty of interest when the last unraced offspring of Galileo to be offered at public auction went through the ring. It was Godolphin who saw off Amo Racing to secure the colt out of 1000 Guineas fourth Manderley for a million guineas at the Craven Breeze-Up Sale in April. Closely related to a couple of winners by Frankel, including the French listed winner Hidden Dimples, Royal Officer, as he was named, was the first foal from Galileo’s final crop to hit the track but he disappointed on his second start at Newmarket after a promising debut for Charlie Appleby at Sandown.
A less expensive purchase at €140,000 was Galactico Bling bought by Kevin Philippart de Foy at Goffs last year. His dam Wind Chimes (122), trained by Andre Fabre for the Coolmore partners, achieved the highest rating among the mares responsible for Galileo’s final crop, running much her best race when beaten a head in the Prix du Moulin. She’s the dam of Bohemian Breeze (also by Galileo) who won three middle-distance handicaps for Charlie Johnston last season, showing fairly useful form.
Besides Eternal Spirit, the two other named fillies in Galileo’s final crop are Gigi Bliss and Golden Lady, trained by Richard Hannon and Jessica Harrington respectively. Gigi Bliss is out of useful sprinter Perfect Angel (102) who ran her best races when second at Newbury for Andrew Balding, in the Mill Reef Stakes at two and the Hackwood Stakes at three. Perfect Angel’s sister Angel’s Hideaway won the Princess Margaret Stakes and finished fourth in the 1000 Guineas. Perfect Angel has produced two very different winners so far for Hannon in the Westerberg colours. Minnetonka (by Kingman) clearly took after her dam, winning over six furlongs, whereas her current three-year-old Sam Hawkens, by Galileo and now with William Haggas, is much more of a stayer, winning his maiden at Salisbury over a mile and a half on heavy ground earlier in the season.
Golden Lady was a €290,000 foal purchase at Goffs on behalf of Zhang Yuesheng’s Yulong Investments. Her dam Gold Lace gained her only win at two in an early-season Curragh maiden over five furlongs but comes from a good family, with her own dam being a sister to Racing Post Trophy winner Commander Collins and a close relative to 2000 Guineas/Derby third Colonel Collins and Breeders’ Cup Sprint winner Lit de Justice. Gold Lace has a mixed breeding record so far, with much her best foal being useful sprinter Gold Filigree, a daughter of Dark Angel.
Racing for the same owner but with Karl Burke is Last Galileo, though his February foaling date makes him one of the last Galileos rather than his sire’s final foal. He’s out of useful two-year-old Bye Bye Birdie (104), winner of the Group 3 Grangecon Stud Stakes at the Curragh for Ballydoyle.
Bye Bye Birdie is out of a half-sister to the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf winner Dank and to Eagle Mountain who was runner-up in the Derby and Champion Stakes when trained by O’Brien at three. Last Galileo was sold for €200,000 at Goffs last year and the Futurity Trophy entry could make his debut at Redcar on Wednesday. He’s a brother to three winners, including the smart Delphi (118), winner of the Irish St Leger Trial, while another of his brothers Matchless is entered over hurdles at Perth the same day.
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