FROM limited opportunities, El Salvador (Galileo) has shown that he is well capable of siring talented runners, and his current crop of four-year-olds includes a pair of debut point-to-point winners.

Captains Speech was impressive when winning by more than five lengths at Dromahane recently, while in March Gillespie Road won on his only start at Durrow for Paul Power. The latter sold last month for £46,000 at the Tattersalls Cheltenham Sale to Dan Astbury and will continue his racing career in England.

While both of these are exciting young prospects, El Salvador had previously sired five winners on the track, two of whom are well-known. San Salvador is a blacktype hurdle winner at Punchestown, while the Gordon Elliott-trained Salvador Ziggy has won eight times, a bumper, four hurdle races and three chases, and he was runner-up in the Pertemps Hurdle Final at Cheltenham and in the Kerry National.

El Saviour is twice a winner this season for Lucy Wadham in just five starts for the stable, Chief Black Robe won four chases on the bounce for Fergal O’Brien last year, while Greenrock Abbey was sold to Highflyer Bloodstock after winning his point-to-point for Denis Murphy and is a dual chase winner since in England.

With an impressive record such as this from the chances he has been given, El Salvador is most certainly worth strong consideration from breeders. He was also a smart runner, trained by Aidan O’Brien for his wife Annemarie, but this was after they purchased him following two placed efforts.

Bred and raced initially in partnership by Anthony Oppenheimer, El Salvador carried Annemarie’s colours to seven wins from a mile and a half to two miles, while he was placed on many occasions in listed contests in Ireland.

El Salvador and his full-brother Galactic Star (Galileo), a listed winner and Group 2-placed, are among seven winners from Balisada (Kris). She won or placed in all of her starts, and her biggest win came in the Group 1 Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot. El Salvador’s unraced full-sister Magic Nymph (Galileo) is the dam of Group 3 winner Folkswood (Exceed And Excel) who was runner-up in the Group 1 Jebel Hatta and placed in the Group 1 Cox Plate in Australia.

This is a hugely successful female line, producing pattern winners around the world. Some of the best-known names among that roll of honour is the popular young stallion Poet’s Word (Poet’s Voice), successful in both the Group 1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes and the Group 1 Prince of Wales’s Stakes, and the Group 1 St Leger winner Harbour Law (Lawman).

Race record

EL SALVADOR (IRE), Chesnut horse, 2009. Won 7 races, value £131,188, at 4 and 5, from 1 mile 4 furlongs to 2 miles and also placed second in Martin Molony Stakes, Limerick, L., Lenebane Stakes, Roscommon, L., third in Saval Beg Stakes, Leopardstown, L., Vintage Crop Stakes, Navan, L. and fourth in Curragh Cup, Curragh, Gr.3.

At stud

Retired to stud in 2015, and sire of 5 winners, of 19 races, and £228,595, including SAN SALVADOR (IRE), Salvador Ziggy (IRE), Chief Black Robe (Ire), Greenrock Abbey (Ire), and El Saviour (Ire).

Information

Stands at: Killack Stud, Kiltrea, Enniscorthy, Co Wexford, Y21 WN83, Ireland

Contact: Shay Slevin or Mark Slevin

Telephone: +353 87 6602011 (Shay) or +353 87 1121981 (Mark)

Fee: Private