Tag: Galileo (Ire)

TDN Snippets: Week of May 30-June 5

It was a pretty quiet racing week here, so this installment of snippets is a little European-centric. We hope you find it interesting.

The Mind Boggles…

Tuesday's win in the G1 Cazoo Oaks at Epsom gave Aidan O'Brien a record 41st British Classic winner, including 10 wins in the Oaks. Tuesday was also the 94th Group 1 winner for her sire, Galileo and the second Oaks heroine and third Classic winner for her dam, Lillie Langtry (following Minding and Empress Josephine). Coolmore/Ballydoyle's stats never cease to amaze.

Pletch Being Pletch…

The Todd Pletcher-trained Emmanuel is one of 51 Northern Hemisphere graded/group winners (106 overall) for the ever-present international powerhouse More Than Ready. Pletcher, of course, also trained More Than Ready to victory in the GI King's Bishop at Saratoga, 22 years ago!

Caveat Emptor?…

Richard Brown of Blandford Bloodstock picked up the G1 Cazoo Derby winner, Desert Crown, for 280,000gns ($368,734 using today's exchange rate) at Tattersalls Book 2 for owner Saeed Suhail. His breeder, Strawberry Fields Stud, had actually promoted the son of Nathaniel as a future Classic winner when selling him as a yearling in 2020. It pays to keep an eye on those TDN ads!

100 Years And Counting…

One hundred years on from the late Aga Khan III's initial foray into European racing, the internationally-renowned operation celebrated a Classic victory Sunday as Vadeni dominated the G1 Prix du Jockey Club (French Derby) at Chantilly. It was also a first Group 1 victory for Coolmore stallion Churchill, from his first crop, highlighting the Aga Khan's belief in using the most suitable stallion for each individual mating, regardless of where they stand.

The Rising Star Machine…

Andiamo a Firenze was named the latest 'TDN Rising Star', and is the 23rd son/daughter of Speightstown to claim that honor. Echo Town, Charlatan, Sharing, and Munnings are also all on that particular roll of honor for WinStar's finest.

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O’Brien Reaches New High With Tuesday On Friday  

EPSOM, UK–Just when we thought there was nothing new to say in praise of Aidan O'Brien, up he jumps to break a 159-year-old record for the number of British Classic winners by a trainer.

It took the previous record-holder John Scott 36 years to amass his 40, and O'Brien has reached his tally of 41 in just 23. After an opening brace in 1998, when King Of Kings (Ire) won the 2000 Guineas and Shahtoush (Ire) gave the trainer the first of his 10 Oaks victories, the Ballydoyle maestro had to wait another three years before bagging another Classic in the UK, but what came next was the horse who would change the course of modern-day Thoroughbred breeding.

In 2001, Galileo (Ire) cruised to glory in the Derby–bringing about an important first for his extraordinary sire Sadler's Wells as well as his trainer. His own exploits at stud have been well documented in the intervening years, and just within his own former stable, 17 of O'Brien's British Classic wins have been recorded by sons and daughters of Galileo. He only relinquished the champion sire's crown last year for the first time in 11 successive seasons (12 in total) to his son Frankel (GB), considered by many to be the horse of a lifetime.

Galileo's death last year at the age of 23 of course brings about a gradual closing of a truly vital era of bloodstock for those of us who have been fortunate enough to live through his supremacy. But his name continues to loom large, in racecards, in racing's history books and now, deservedly, in British racing's Hall Of Fame, into which he was the most recent inductee just last week. In the post-Oaks press conference sat MV Magnier, Michael Tabor, and Aidan O'Brien, three names intrinsically linked to the great horse who fittingly helped to push his trainer to a new benchmark courtesy of his daughter Tuesday (Ire).

“I can't even put it into words how much this horse has meant to us,” said Magnier in tribute to Galileo. “He has changed a lot of people's lives. It's not just us, he has affected a lot of people.

“I remember my father saying that Sadler's Wells's record was never, ever going to be repeated and couldn't be bettered, but Galileo has managed to do that. Those Galileo mares, they are so tough, and for everything he has done we have a lot to be grateful for.”

Magnier was also not stinting in his praise of O'Brien. He said as the trainer walked into the press conference, “I was hoping he was not going to hear me say this but he is an incredible man. All that he has achieved to date is incredible. He works harder than anybody I've ever met in my life and he deserves everything he gets.”

Tabor agreed. “It is just a work ethic which is non-stop,” he said. “I guess it's like baking a cake. You need every ingredient to make it a cake that you really want, and if you are lacking any ingredient then it's going to be ok but you are not going to reach the pinnacle.

“And I do feel that every ingredient, from what John Magnier has built that over the years, has made Ballydoyle the place it is, so that it has every facility possible to get the best out of those pedigrees. And don't forget that John selected Aidan when he was just another trainer, but he could see what he was achieving from nothing, and he made the appointment and it has been a success story ever since.”

Tabor added, “As I say, you need all the ingredients, and the pedigrees are so important, there's no question about that.”

Tuesday's pedigree is already eminently familiar to those who have been following the Classic scene in recent years, for she follows her sister Minding (Ire) in winning the Oaks. That great filly had already won the 1000 Guineas and been beaten a head into second in the Irish 1000 Guineas when she triumphed at Epsom, and, having gone up the distance scale, dropped back down during her 3-year-old season to add the Pretty Polly, the Nassau and the Queen Elizabeth II S. to her incredible year. Last year another sister, Empress Josephine (Ire), won the Irish 1000 Guineas, while Tuesday, a rare June foal, has also placed in both Guineas en route to her own Classic success.

“Today is her birthday,” said Magnier of Tuesday, who is a full four months younger than the eldest filly in the Oaks, Rogue Millennium (GB). “And the biggest thing that you can take from that is that we are just going to keep covering mares for a lot longer. She's a very nice filly and all of that but she is only three today and she has just won an Oaks. I think people are just thinking too much towards the sales-ring but this just goes to show you that you can keep covering your mares [later in the season].”

O'Brien added ominously, “She's not three until today and she's [won] after running in two Guineas already. It's very hard to quantify but it's quite possible that there's a lot more to come from her.”

So speaks the man who, at 52, can still be regarded as something of a precocious talent himself. He may already have rewritten the record books, but it is safe to assume that there is still also plenty more to come from Aidan O'Brien, perhaps even as soon as Derby day.

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This Side Up: A Long Fellow, And The Longest Reign

The bit that most concerns us, naturally, is that the race is not to the swift–albeit ours is a business that will also disclose, fairly reliably, that nor is the battle to the strong; bread to the wise; riches to men of understanding; or favor to those of skill. “Time and chance happen to them all.”

So, yes, we all know that before anything else we require a little luck. But the whole point of Epsom, as the definitive measure of the Thoroughbred, is that while your horse must certainly be swift and strong, he also requires agility and, above all, endurance. And that latter element certainly sets the tone for the 243rd running of what remains, with all due respect to the even older St Leger, the most venerable horserace on the planet.

Because on Saturday, by some poignant alignment of the stars, the Derby will have a far broader reach than has lately been the case in Britain, thanks to two single spans of human life that have indelibly shaped even an institution that has doughtily survived empires, wars and, of course, plagues.

The race is being run in memory of Lester Piggott, the only jockey to win it nine times, whose epic tale drew to a close last Sunday. And it will also be a centerpiece of a four-day national holiday for the unprecedented 70th anniversary of the Queen's accession to the throne.

For a long time, the monarch had hoped to insist that one perennial ritual would retain its place in the Jubilee pageant, but even her indefatigability has its limits, at 96, and she has reluctantly accepted that she will not make it to the royal box at Epsom. Until last year, when social distancing intervened, she had missed only three Derbies since the Second World War.

Though she has won the other four Classics, she has never got closer to the Derby itself than immediately after her coronation, when Pinza had the effrontery to deny the young Queen's runner by four lengths. But that does not alter the fact that her passion for the Thoroughbred, and its proud English heritage, has proved a priceless boon to the sport through a reign that has measured a profound demographic alienation from to its roots in rural life.

The year after Pinza beat Aureole, the teenaged Piggott made his precocious Epsom breakthrough on Never Say Die, who had started life on Jonabell Farm and so became the first Kentucky-foaled Derby winner. Never Say Die! An apt enough maxim, for a man who would serve a prison sentence before coming out of retirement at 54 and winning the GI Breeders' Cup Mile 10 days later. That was such an outlandish tale that we tend to overlook what a last-ditch gamble was Royal Academy, as a yearling, for a trainer with whom Piggott had shared four Derbies in their mutual heyday–all with North American-breds.

In Vincent O'Brien no less than Piggott, then, we see how competitive longevity discloses an element of stubbornness, nearly of obduracy, as the vital spark of all achievement. And we also see it in Frankie Dettori, the only jockey since Piggott to find a niche in British popular culture, though still seven Derbies behind him at the age of 51.

Dettori rides Piz Badile (Ire) (Ulysses {Ire}) for Donnacha O'Brien, who is less than half his age. The Niarchos family must be pretty excited by the possibility of the ultimate dividend from such a bold mating, both sire and dam being out of daughters of Lingerie (GB). That mare herself condenses much the same kind of transatlantic cross-pollination as was integral to O'Brien and Piggott's golden age: her sire was an Epsom Derby winner, by another Epsom Derby winner foaled in Virginia; and her dam, Arc runner-up Northern Trick, was by Northern Dancer from an American family. And while both the parents of Ulysses won Epsom Classics, from top to bottom Piz Badile's pedigree is basically held together by loop after loop of Mr Prospector and Northern Dancer.
So while an Englishman is this week asking you to indulge a parochial theme, it does contain one or two more universal strands. For one thing, all breeders build their families with that same competitive perseverance: a willingness to ride out the inevitable ebb tides and, if you want to breed a Classic winner, a degree of obstinacy in favoring blood that hasn't been diluted by fast-buck fads.

That, as I am always reminding people, is actually a far bigger problem among British and Irish breeders than it is in Kentucky, where they do still want speed to be carried through two turns on the first Saturday in May. The Epsom Derby has paid a price for that, over recent years, but it feels as though we are slowly witnessing a turn of the dial and 17 runners should certainly assure the Queen a fitting cavalcade. One ongoing factor is the emergence of so many promising sons of Galileo (Ire) to contest the succession, many of them relatively affordable. The late king retains his customary footprint in this field, but it tells you everything that his son Nathaniel (Ire)–sire of warm favorite Desert Crown (GB)–is still standing at just £15,000 despite coming up with champion Enable (GB) among five Group 1 winners in his first three crops.

The late Galileo | Coolmore photo

 

But never say die. Aside from Galileo, Desert Crown's three other grandparents were foaled in North America. In the next generation, the ratio reads one from Britain, seven from America; and the next offers one from Britain, and 15 from America. In its puerile addiction to precocity and dash, and its disdain for stallions like Nathaniel, the European commercial market will eventually drive far-sighted and ambitious breeders back over the water to mine those speed-carrying reserves in Kentucky.

Like all his predecessors, the 243rd Derby winner will be a living, breathing register of selective breeding across eras defined by emperors of the breed like Galileo and Northern Dancer. But even as long a game as breeding is sustained by daily commitment, by the accretion of small decisions over the years. That's not so different from the indomitability we celebrated in Piggott, and the same steadfast adherence to standards being saluted in a Queen born just before Bubbling Over won what was only the 52nd running of the Kentucky Derby.

He became the sire of Hildene, dam of one Preakness winner in Hill Prince and now seventh dam of another, in Early Voting. A long game, then, and a “Long Fellow” too. That was what they used to call Lester, on account of his unwonted height; so let's make one last cultural transfer, and invoke the words of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. For the same poem that urged us to leave “footsteps on the sands of time”–albeit few of us will leave an imprint quite like those we trace, back through the decades, at Epsom on Saturday–concludes with these lines:

Let us, then, be up and doing,
With a heart for any fate;
Still achieving, still pursuing,
Learn to labor and to wait.

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Galileo’s Tuesday Secures Classic Record For O’Brien

Choosing her own third birthday to bring Aidan O'Brien a record 41st British Classic, Tuesday (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}–Lillie Langtry {Ire}, by Danehill Dancer {Ire}) inched out TDN Rising Star Emily Upjohn (GB) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) in a thriller for Friday's G1 Cazoo Oaks at Epsom. Third in the 1000 Guineas and runner-up in the Irish equivalent, the homebred who was a 13-2 shot to emulate her full-sister Minding (Ire) arrived from rear to grab the lead inside the final two furlongs and had her nose in front on the line as the slow-starting 6-4 favourite almost pulled off an epic recovery. The official margin was a short head, with Nashwa (GB) (Frankel {GB}) 3 1/4 lengths away in third.

“She was still a little bit babyish and I was further back than I should have been, but she put herself into the race,” Ryan Moore said. “She was just a bit idle and changed her leads late on, so I just had to get her balanced. She has an awful lot of class and it's amazing how the family keep producing. Aidan has peaked her again only 12 days after the Irish Guineas and only he can do that. He did the same with Minding, who got beaten in the Irish Guineas then came here and won. She and Minding are similar size and very similar attitudes. Both have a lot of class, but this filly might be the stronger stayer.”

Runner-up to Discoveries (Ire) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}) over seven furlongs on debut at The Curragh in June, Tuesday had her next assignment in a mile maiden at Naas after a nine-month hiatus and while there were no fireworks she was able to get off the mark and work her way into the picture for the May 1 Newmarket Classic. Only 4-1 for that, she stayed on gamely to fill the frame behind the vastly-more experienced Cachet (Ire) (Aclaim {Ire}) and Prosperous Voyage (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}) before chasing home the brilliant Homeless Songs (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) at The Curragh three weeks later.

This renewal was a case of “best-laid plans” from the outset as Emily Upjohn broke awkwardly and lost ground with Frankie looking down to check that her shoes were still intact. Soon able to coast to the rail of the field where she raced alongside the eventual winner, she was forced wide off the home turn as Tuesday darted up the inside. As the field veered towards the stands, Tuesday was cut adrift in the centre of the track with a clear passage while Frankie was steering Emily Upjohn near the rail and while it looked initially as though the Gosdens' number one had won the bobber it was Ballydoyle who the fortunes favoured for a 10th Oaks success.

As he always does, O'Brien was quick to share the plaudits for the training achievement which rests in his name. “It feels unbelievable for us to be part of the whole thing, we're a small part of the team and we feel very privileged to be that part,” he said. “I'm so delighted for everybody because everybody puts in so much work, day in and day out, it's literally day and night, so it's unbelievable when everyone gets the return that they get. We're so grateful to everyone, that's what makes the difference and that's what makes it happen.”

Of Tuesday, who also overcame stall one, he added, “She is a baby and she was running in Classics before she was three, so it just goes to show what a fantastic filly she is. We always thought that a mile and a quarter, a mile and a half was going to suit her well. Ryan rode her very cold and very confidently. We felt that a mile and a quarter and a mile and a half was going to suit her well, you can never be sure but it wasn't a mad pace. With this type of filly, you're going to be looking at an Irish Oaks and things like that, there's plenty time between now and then and whether it's over a mile and a quarter or a mile and a half won't bother her and even at a mile she's very competitive.”

Dettori was understandably disappointed with the way the race panned out for the favourite and said, “She fell over, she slipped, lost her footing and fell over. I found myself last and going past all the field, I wish I had the pleasure to have the rail but I didn't, Ryan had that pleasure and I had to make a challenge on the outside. She made up a lot of ground and she was an unlucky loser. It's one of those things. She should have won, it's as simple as that. You've seen her–she's a good one.”

John Gosden said of the runner-up, “They went an even pace, but she has just lost it at the start–it is as simple as that. She has got a lot of ability to come from last and get there. It was a hell of a run. That is bad luck–you can't get left that far and circle the whole field. It is not her style of racing. I think if she had a clean break and not slipped and lost her legs it might have been a different result, but that's racing. She was in front before the line and just after the line but not on it.”

“Nashwa has run great. I think she just ran out of stamina the last 50 yards up the hill,” he added. “She would be better dropping back in trip, but she has run a superb race.” Hollie Doyle was achieving the best finishing position for a female rider in a Classic and commented, “I'm disappointed she didn't win, but I'm not disappointed with her performance at all. She ran a solid race and when she's stepped back to 10 furlongs there will hopefully be big days ahead. I appreciate that it's the best placing ever by a female rider in a Classic, but it doesn't make a lot of difference to me. If I could ever win one though it would be amazing.”

Tuesday becomes the 94th group 1 winner for her sire and the second Oaks heroine and third Classic winner for Lillie Langtry following the exploits of Minding (Ire) in this race and the 1000 Guineas and of another full-sister in Empress Josephine (Ire) in last year's G1 Irish 1000 Guineas. Lillie Langtry, whose top-level wins came in the Coronation S. and Matron S., has also produced the G3 1000 Guineas Trial winner Kissed By Angels (Ire) by Galileo. From the family of the sires Great Commotion and Lead On Time, her pedigree received another significant recent update when the G2 Prix du Conseil de Paris-winning Traffic Jam (Ire) (Duke of Marmalade {Ire}) was responsible for the G3 Prix Cleopatre winner and G1 Prix Saint-Alary runner-up Place du Carrousel (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}). Lillie Langtry's unraced 2-year-old is named Delightful (Ire).

Friday, Epsom Downs, Britain
CAZOO OAKS-G1, £550,000, Epsom, 6-3, 3yo, f, 12f 6yT, 2:37.83, gd.
1–TUESDAY (IRE), 128, f, 3, by Galileo (Ire)
1st Dam: Lillie Langtry (Ire) (Hwt. 3yo Filly-Eng at 7-9.5f, G1SW-Eng & Ire, $1,361,940), by Danehill Dancer (Ire)
2nd Dam: Hoity Toity (GB), by Darshaan (GB)
3rd Dam: Hiwaayati (GB), by Shadeed
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN; 1ST GROUP WIN; 1ST GROUP 1 WIN. O-Susan Magnier, Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith & Westerberg; B-Coolmore (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien; J-Ryan Moore. £311,905. Lifetime Record: G1SP-Ire, 5-2-2-1, $573,703. *Full to Minding (Ire), Hwt. 2yo Filly-Eur, Hwt. 3yo-Eur at 7-9.5f, Hwt. Older Mare-Eur at 9.5-11f, MG1SW-Eng & Ire, $3,213,340; Empress Josephine (IRE), G1SW-Ire & GISP-USA, $366,222; and Kissed By Angels (Ire), GSW-Ire. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Emily Upjohn (GB), 128, f, 3, Sea The Stars (Ire)–Hidden Brief (GB), by Barathea (Ire). 1ST GROUP 1 BLACK TYPE. (60,000gns Ylg '20 TATOCT). O-Tactful Finance & S Roden; B-Lordship Stud & Sunderland Holding Inc (GB); T-John & Thady Gosden. £118,250.
3–Nashwa (GB), 128, f, 3, Frankel (GB)–Princess Loulou (Ire), by Pivotal (GB). 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE; 1ST GROUP 1 BLACK TYPE. O-Imad Al Sagar; B-Blue Diamond Stud Farm (UK) Ltd (GB); T-John & Thady Gosden. £59,180.
Margins: NO, 3 1/4, 1 1/4. Odds: 6.50, 1.50, 4.00.
Also Ran: Concert Hall (Ire), Kawida (GB), Tranquil Lady (Ire), Rogue Millennium (Ire), Moon de Vega (GB), Thoughts of June (Ire), The Algarve, With The Moonlight (Ire). Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.

 

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