CURRAGH GROUP 1 TREBLE FOR GALILEO
It is only the start of June and yet it appears that Coolmore Stud's great stallion Galileo (by Sadler's Wells) may be set for yet another sires' championship title.
Already with a double-digit tally of stakes winners and with more than £2 million in progeny earnings in just the combined Ireland and UK table, the dual Derby hero added last weekend to his collection of considerable feats, another one in which he sired several top-level winners.
Churchill won the Group 1 Tattersalls Irish 2000 Guineas, Decorated Knight took the Group 1 Tattersalls Gold Cup with the Galileo colt Deauville in third, and then Winter impressed in the Group 1 Tattersalls Irish 1000 Guineas, with Hydrangea finishing third – all at the Curragh, of course.
Also at that venue, Finn McCool was third in the Group 3 Airlie Stud Gallinule Stakes.
For extra bragging points, but without contribution to his own earnings, Galileo's grandson Irishcorrespondent (by Teofilo) was third to Churchill, while his classic-winning daughter Misty For Me was represented by Roly Poly (by War Front), the dual pattern winner who chased home Winter, and by Listed Cold Move Irish EBF Marble Hill Stakes third U S Navy Flag (by War Front).
Also, Galileo's grand-daughters Creggs Pipes (by Rip Van Winkle) and Turret Rocks (by Fastnet Rock, out of Beyond Compare) were first and third in the Group 2 Lanwades Stud Stakes – and all of this is just his Irish blacktype results.
Each of his Curragh Group 1 trio look likely to continue making an impact in future years too, when they go to stud.
Winter is out of the Wokingham heroine Laddies Poker Two (by Choisir) and from the speedy family of the high-class siblings Ancient Regime (by Olden Times) and Cricket Ball.
Juvenile champion Churchill is out of the Group 2-placed stakes winner Meow (by Storm Cat), a daughter of the Group 1 Cheveley Park Stakes heroine and Group 2 mile scorer Airwave (by Air Express), and he looks odds-on to become a popular member of the Coolmore stallion team.
And then there's dual Group 1 star Decorated Knight, a chesnut whose dam, Pearling (by Storm Cat), is a full-sister to prolific Group 1 star and multiple US champion sire Giant's Causeway and also to You'resothrilling, the Group 2-winning dam of the Galileo-sired classic aces Gleneagles and Marvellous.
Galileo made it four Group 1 winners for the week when his globetrotting son Highland Reel added the Investec Coronation Cup to his already impressive CV on Friday, and then had the Group 1 Investec Oaks runner-up Rhododendron.
The Oaks heroine of 2017, Enable, represents the first crop of Newsells Park Stud stallion Nathaniel (by Galileo). Juddmonte Farms' homebred is trained by John Gosden, she is inbred 3x2 to Sadler's Wells (by Northern Dancer), and comes from the immediate family of multiple Group/Grade 1 star Flintshire (by Dansili).
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SEVENTH GROUP 1 WINNER FOR SEA THE STARS
Timeform 140-rated superstar and Gilltown Stud stallion Sea The Stars (by Cape Cross) notched up his second Group 1 winner of the year, and his seventh one in total, when Mekhtaal took the Prix d'Ispahan at Chantilly on Sunday.
Al Shaqab Racing's chesnut is trained by Jean-Claude Rouget, he was bred by Haras du Mezeray and Skymarc Farm, and this victory adds to his six-length score in last year's Group 2 Prix Hocquart at Deauville.
The colt is a half-brother to Group 2 scorer Democrate (by Dalakhani) and to dual Grade 3-winning filly Aigue Marine (by Galileo), and his dam is the Group 3 Prix Fille de l'Air winner Aiglonne (by Silver Hawk).
That mare is out of the Listed Tyros Stakes winner and Group 1 Prix de la Salamandre runner-up Majestic Role (by Theatrical), a half-sister to Fair Of The Furze (by Ela-Mana-Mou).
That Group 2 Tattersalls Gold Cup heroine was the dam of Group 1 star White Muzzle (by Dancing Brave) and grandam of Group 1 Dubai World Cup hero Almutawakel (by Machiavellian), both of whom sired pattern winners at stud.
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RISING STAR FOR DARK ANGEL
Leading sire Dark Angel (by Acclamation) has another potential Group 1 star to his name following the impressive four and a half-length victory of Harry Angel in the Group 2 Armstrong Aggregates Sandy Lane Stakes over six furlongs at Haydock on Saturday.
The Clive Cox-trained colt, who won the Group 2 Mill Reef Stakes in September, is one of the top contenders for this month's Group 1 Commonwealth Cup at Ascot and it will be fascinating to see how he gets on against the top older sprinters later in the season.
He was bred by Cbs Bloodstock, he is a £44,000 graduate of the Premier Yearling Sale in Doncaster, and he is one of two winners out of Beatrix Potter (by Cadeaux Genereux), a half-sister to Hong Kong mile Group 1 scorer Xtension (by Xaar), who stands at Rathbarry Stud.
This is a branch of the family of US Grade 1 stars Stephen Got Even (by A.P. Indy) and Artemis Agrotera (by Roman Ruler), and it looks odds-on that their young and distant relation will be a popular addition to the stallion ranks whenever his potentially top-class racing career comes to an end.
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EXCEL FILLY PRICELESS
Dual listed scorer Priceless gave her future paddocks value a tremendous boost on Saturday when beating Group 1 scorer Goldeam by half a length to take the Group 2 Armstrong Aggregates Temple Stakes over five furlongs at Haydock.
The Clive Cox-trained four-year-old, who was bred by Biddestone Stud Ltd, is a daughter of Australian champion sire and Kildangan Stud shuttle stallion Exceed And Excel (by Danehill), and her four wins, from a dozen starts, have been achieved by a combined margin of 13 and a quarter lengths.
Priceless is among several winners out of dual sprint winner Molly Brown (by Rudimentary). Those siblings include the prolific Brazen (by Kyllachy) and also Doctor Brown (aka Helene Brilliant) (by Dr Fong) who was short-headed by Excellent Art in the Group 2 Mill Reef Stakes of 2006.
Sinking (by Midyan), the grandam of Pricess, was out of Taplow (by Tap On Wood) and so last weekend's pattern heroine comes from a branch of the family of the Group 1 stars Rebelline (by Robellino) and Braashee (by Sadler's Wells).
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CLASSIC FILLY FOR OASIS DREAM
Sprint star and influential Banstead Manor Stud stallion Oasis Dream (by Green Desert) is one of those notable horses who have achieved a triple-digit tally of stakes winners and he took his tally to 105 when Folega won the Group 2 Oaks d'Italia at San Siro on Sunday.
The Stefano Botti-trained bay took the 11-furlong contest by half a length from the first-crop Casamento (by Shamardal) filly Paiardina and the pair finished four lengths clear of the third.
Folega was bred by Azienda Agricola Francesca Srl, she is a half-sister to 10-furlong listed scorer Favulusa (by Dansili) and out of Rose Del Dubai (by Dubai Destination), who was a Group 3 winner over that same trip in May of her three-year-old season.
A half-sister to listed scorers Biancarosa (by Dalakhani) and Ragazzo (by Footstepsinthesand), the mare is a daughter of Rosa Di Brema (by Lomitas), who has the eye-catching distinction of having beaten Falbrav by half a length in a listed contest, when they were both two-year-olds.
Eight months after that win, Rosa Di Brema chased home Zanzibar in the 2001 edition of the Group 1 Oaks d'Italia.
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POPULAR VETERAN GORDON STRIKES AGAIN
He may be nine years old now but popular veteran Gordon Lord Byron clearly retains plenty of ability and he recorded the 16th win of his career when beating Only Mine by a length and a half in the Group 2 Weatherbys Ireland Greenlands Stakes at the Curragh on Saturday.
The Tom Hogan-trained bay, who was bred by Roland Alder and famously made just €2,000 in Goffs as a foal, has earned over €2 million in his 73-race career, with Group 1 success coming at Longchamp, Haydock, and Rosehill.
He represents the first crop of the dual Group 2 scorer Byron (by Green Desert), who spent one year at Kildangan Stud, three at Dalham Hall Stud, and then moved to Woodlands Stud in Co Galway.
The stallion's second-crop son Ahtoug was only beaten by a neck when runner-up in the Group 1 Al Quoz Sprint at Meydan in 2014, third-crop daughter Byrama won the Grade 1 Vanity Handicap at Hollywood Park in 2013, while the star of his fourth crop is the multiple pattern-placed dual stakes winner Professor.
Gordon Lord Byron is out of Boa Estrela (by Intikhab) and that unraced mare was a half-sister to the Group 3 Brownstown Stakes and Group 3 Ridgewood Pearl Stakes heroine Cheyenne Star (by Mujahid).
His grandam, Charita (by Lycius), won the Listed Garnet Stakes over a mile at Naas and is a half-sister to Stanott (by Mukaddamah), a Group 1-placed Group 2 winning miler in Italy.
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GROUP 2 SUCCESS FOR RIP VAN WINKLE MARE
Group 1 star Rip Van Winkle (by Galileo) has not sired as many stakes winners as might have been hoped at this point in his career but his tally includes Group 1 scorer Dick Whittington, last year's Group 3 Renaissance Stakes winner The Happy Prince, and Saturday's Group 2 Lanwades Stud Stakes heroine Creggs Pipes.
The latter is a popular Andy Slattery-trained five-year-old whose other six wins include the Listed Cairn Rouge Stakes at Killarney, which came two weeks before she justified favouritism in a valuable premier handicap at Galway last July.
The chesnut was bred by John Hayes, she is the first foal out of Sophie Germain (by Indian Ridge), who is an unraced half-sister to several winners, and her grandam Nydrion's (by Critique) finest hour came when narrowly beating Wrapping in the Group 1 Oaks d'Italia at San Siro in 1989.
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ANOTHER FOR WAR FRONT
Claiborne Farm ace War Front (by Danzig) added to his pattern tally when Homesman beat Born To Play by a head in the Group 3 Airlie Stud Gallinule Stakes over 10 furlongs at the Curragh on Sunday, the pair finishing two lengths clear of third-placed Finn McCool.
Bred by Joseph Allen Llc and trained by Aidan O'Brien, the colt chased home classic-placed Irishcorrespondent over a mile at the same venue a fortnight before and his big race entries include both the Group 2 King Edward VII Stakes and the Group 1 Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby.
His ability to stay 12 furlongs won't be known until he tries the trip as he is by a sire noted for getting horses who excel in the broad five to 10-furlong range and he is out of My Annette (by Red Ransom), which makes him a half-brother – or three-parts brother – to the notably speedy U S Ranger.
That WinStar Farm stallion won listed races over six and seven furlongs, minor contests over a mile, was only beaten a head by Marchand D'Or in the Group 1 July Cup and by five and a half lengths when third to Paco Boy in the Group 1 Prix de la Foret.
Homesman appears to have more stamina than that sibling did, which was always possible given that their dam is a half-sister – could be described as a three-parts sister – to dual Grade 2 scorer and outstanding US stallion Dynaformer (by Roberto).
That late Three Chimneys Farm flag bearer got his major winners over a wide range, including juvenile mile star Rainbow View, 1000 Guineas and Irish Oaks heroine Blue Bunting, ill-fated Kentucky Derby hero Barbaro, St Leger scorer Lucarno, and Melbourne Cup star Americain.
Like recent Group 1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches (French 1000 Guineas) runner-up Sea Of Grace, Group 3 Gallinule Stakes second Born To Play represents the first crop of the regally-related Gilltown Stud stallion Born To Sea (by Invincible Spirit).