Wonder sire Galileo closing in on 100th Group/Grade 1 winner

97…and counting!

On Saturday the Group 1 Criterium International served as a timely reminder of how much we are going to miss Galileo once his final crop have run.

With a finite number left to race, Galileo is edging ever closer to a landmark achievement and in doing so breaking his own record with every step. In November 2019, Magic Wand became Galileo’s 84th Group/Grade 1 winner in the Mackinnon Stakes, equalling the record held by his predecessor Danehill and coincidentally a sire whose daughters are responsible for sixty of Galileo’s stakes winners, 17 of those at G1 level.

In the penultimate Group 1 contest run for juveniles in France, a pair of Galileos went head up head down to the line, with the colt bred on the fruitful Galileo – Danehill cross prevailing by the narrowest of margins. In doing so, Donnacha O’Brien’s Proud And Regal became Galileo’s 97th Group/Grade 1 winner, leaving him just three shy of a perfect 100.

Given the addition of four individual G1 winners in 2022, it might seem a case of 'when' rather than 'if'. However, having learned that presumption precedes most errors of judgement, it might be prudent to have a sneak peak of what’s to come for the once unsurmountable former Champion sire.

Galileo x Waldlerche colt

Where better to start than with the most expensive son of Galileo to go through the sales ring so far this year?

The Newsell’s Park consigned full brother to Arc winner Waldgeist was knocked down to Jill Lamb for 725,000gns at Tattersalls Book One. His Group 3 winning dam Waldlerche is by leading broodmare sire Monsun and this colt is her second most expensive to sell as a yearling to date.

A Dubawi filly named Caelestis yet to race brought 1,250,000gns to Al Shiraa Farms, the first to sell following Waldgeist’s 2019 Arc.

This family is no one trick pony. The renowned ‘W’ branch of the German pedigree book, Waldlerche is a half-sister to St Leger winner Masked Marvel (Montjeu) and her second dam Wurftaube (Acatenango) was victorious in the German St Leger.

She herself is the dam of German Derby winner Waldpark (Dubawi) and undoubtedly the Derby will be to the forefront of this colt’s new connections until he gives them a reason to look elsewhere.

Waldgeist’s connections didn’t have to wait long to secure his first G1 in the Criterium de Saint-Cloud as a two year old and this colt will no doubt bid to do the same. He’s certain to benefit from some time and it will likely be autumn before we can bear comparisons with his illustrious brother.

Galileo x Signora Cabello filly

The highest priced daughter of the former Champion sire realized €750,000 at Goffs Orby Yearling sale.

Knocked down to Newtown Anner Stud, she is the first foal out of the G2 Queen Mary winning daughter of Camacho who was purchased for 900,000gns at Tattersalls December Mares sale at the end of her two year old season.

Whilst she never scaled the same heights in four starts at three, her Royal Ascot success as well as a runner up effort to Pretty Pollyanna in the G1 Prix Morny were more than enough to secure a mating with the best around.

Like the Group 1 winning pair Churchill and Clemmie, this filly is out of a fast mare. Meow, the mare responsible for Classic winner Churchill and Cheveley Park winner Clemmie was second in the Queen Mary Stakes.

Signora Cabello went one better in winning the Royal Ascot highlight for juvenile fillies so the prospect of this filly will have pedigree enthusiasts dreaming.

To add another layer, Camacho is a son of Danehill who has left an indomitable mark on the breed, but none more so than through his daughters when mated with Galileo. Whilst it’s a mistake to underestimate Galileo, it would be a surprise to see this filly emulating her mother so early on.

Targets are likely to be the autumn Group Ones with one eye firmly fixed on the 1000 Guineas.

Galileo x Wadyhatta colt

When Shadwell sent the Cape Cross mare Wadyhatta in foal to Authorized to the sales in July 2016 it’s highly unlikely anyone predicted she was carrying a Classic winner.

The resulting foal, Irish Derby winner Santiago, was the first out of his winning dam Wadyhatta who is a daughter of Thamarat and a half-sister to Prix du Jockey Club third Motamarris.

Her second dam is Al Ishq, dam of dual G1 winning miler Tamayuz whilst third dam Allez Les Trois is a half-sister to Urban Sea. It was inspired thinking then to send Thamarat to Cape Cross, sire of Sea The Stars who is of course one of Arc winner Urban Sea’s greatest achievements as a broodmare.

Whilst Wadyhatta came nowhere near Sea The Stars achievements on the track, she has shown she has inherited her family’s favourable DNA.

By producing a Classic winner from her first foal by a Derby winner widely considered disappointing at stud, it’s almost frightening to think how good this colt might be.

Inbred 3 x 5 to a mare so superior as Allegretta can only be considered favourable and Classics will no doubt be high on this colt’s agenda.

Galileo x Daldiyna colt

An ex-Aga Khan mare, Daldiyna was a €150,000 purchase at Arqana December 2016 as a maiden in both senses of the word.

Her best finish on the track was third from two starts and so her owner breeders moved her on at the end of her three year old career. It wasn’t Daldiyna’s achievements on the track that commanded a six figure sales price. A daughter of then emerging (now established) broodmare sire Dansili, her half-sister Dolniya’s (Azamour) exploits were fresh on the mind having won the G1 Dubai Sheema Classic the previous year.

Further back into this family and you will find a gluttony of Champions and you don’t have to go very far to do it. Daldiyna’s second dam, and thus this colt’s third dam, is responsible for the accomplished Champions Dalakhani (Darshaan) and Daylami (Doyoun), both multiple Group 1 winners and both reputable sires.

Daldiyna started her broodmare career with a bang, her first foal Interpretation (Galileo) won at Listed level and was fourth in the St Leger. Her second foal Bahamian Club (Kingman) has won twice and placed third in a Grade 3 from only four starts to date.

This colt is her fourth and hopes will be high that he can scale even higher heights.

Galileo x Muwakaba colt

Another Shadwell cast-off, Muwakaba is by Elusive Quality meaning this mating with Galileo intertwines the two dominant sire lines of the modern thoroughbred.

Like the Dubawi x Galileo cross, Galileo x Muwakaba crosses Mr Prospector with Northern Dancer twice. Both Galileo and Muwakaba are bred on the same lines and that’s far from the most exciting element. This colt is inbred 3 x 3 to Allegretta and is a three parts brother to G2 winner Cayenne Pepper (Australia).

Given the success Muwakaba had from a visit to Australia, it’s more than reasonable for connections to hope this colt might go one better than his sister. Prior to Cayenne Pepper, Muwakaba had bred three winners from four foals, none of them better than handicappers.

Since visiting Galileo and sons, she has a G2 winner and G2 fourth placed Howth (Churchill) from two runners. Cayenne Pepper was fast, and she was precocious enough to win a G3 in August of her juvenile career.

Whilst 10f proved her optimum in the end, she was second in the Irish Oaks so the Derby is likely to rank high on this colt’s list of priorities. Muwakaba is one of two fillies out of Saleela (Nureyev) who is a half-sister to Urban Sea with both fillies going some way to live up to their family’s dynasty and producing stakes winners. With a colt like this on the ground, the best looks yet to come.

The final domestic Group 1 of the British and Irish racing scene went the way of Auguste Rodin (Deep Impact) who is appropriately the first foal of Galileo’s decorated mare Rhododendron.

His longstanding stranglehold on domestic Group Ones might not be the force of old, but I’ll bet not many would gamble against him surpassing a record 100 Group One winners before too long.

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