You’resothrilling’s Story Continues At The Curragh

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-pedigreed horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Today's Observations features the latest progeny out of one of Coolmore's bluest-blooded mares.

12.40 Curragh, Mdn, €16,500, 2yo, f, 7fT
TOY (IRE) (Galileo {Ire}) is the eighth foal out of the remarkable G2 Cherry Hinton S. winner You'resothrilling (Storm Cat), which makes her a full-sister to the G1 English and Irish 2000 Guineas hero Gleneagles (Ire), the G1 Irish 1000 Guineas heroine Marvellous (Ire), the G1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere and the G1 Moyglare Stud S. scorer Happily (Ire) and this year's G1 Prix de Diane winner Joan of Arc (Ire), as well as the smart Taj Mahal (Ire), Coolmore (Ire) and Vatican City (Ire). Among the opponents of the Ballydoyle blueblood are the CBR Partnership's Ha Ha Ha (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}), a £400,000 Goffs Orby graduate and Jessie Harrington-trained half-sister to the G1 Irish Oaks runner-up Jack Naylor (GB) (Champs Elysees {GB}).

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Stars Abound In Final Galileo Crops

Two weeks removed from his death at age 23, Galileo (Ire)'s influence was keenly felt in Europe's feature races this weekend. At Ascot, Adayar (GB)-by Galileo's greatest son Frankel (GB)-became the first horse to do the Derby/King George double since Galileo himself accomplished the feat 20 years ago. On the same card, Godolphin's €260,000 Arqana Select purchase New Science (GB) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) stamped himself a 2-year-old to watch with victory in the Listed Pat Eddery S. He is out of a Galileo mare.

Up North at York, horses from the Galileo sireline took up four of the five spots in the starting gate for the card's featured G2 York S., and they filled the first four spots home, too, with Australia (GB)'s Bangkok (Ire) denying Frankel's Juan Elcano (GB) and Mohaafeth (Ire) in a tight finish and Galileo's Armory (Ire) further back in fourth.

With the yearling sales right around the corner, owners, too, will be eagerly anticipating the catalogue releases to see which progeny of Galileo might be on the market. First up is the Arqana August Yearling Sale, where there are four on Aug. 15 and 16, including Haras de Montaigu's half-sister to Derby winner Wings Of Eagles (Fr) (Pour Moi {Ire}).

The Galileos that show up at public auction, of course, will represent just a small percentage of his 2021 yearling crop, which numbers 100. Some of the standouts of that very deep group include colts out of six-time American Grade I winner and $5-million mare Abel Tasman (Quality Road), the mare's first foal; Again (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}), the Classic-winning dam of three stakes horses by Galileo; Dialafara (Fr) (Anabaa), the dam of Classic winner Capri (Ire) and two other stakes horses by Galileo; Pikaboo (GB), the dam of Galileo's 2020 champion 3-year-old filly and 2021 G1 Prince of Wales's S. winner Love (Ire); Alpha Centauri (Ire) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}), the first foal for the four-time Group 1-winning mare; Godolphin's Oaks winner and stakes producer Dancing Rain (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}); champion 2-year-old filly and 2.1-million gns purchase Tiggy Wiggy (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}); dual Group 1 winner Amazing Maria (Ire) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}); five-time Grade I-winning hurdler Annie Power (Ire) (Shirroco {Ger}); G3 Albany S. winner Different League (Fr) (Dabirsim {Fr}) and G2 Queen Mary S. winner Heartache (GB) (Kyllachy {GB}), both purchased by Coolmore at auction for seven figures; and Penchant (GB) (Kyllachy {GB}), the dam of Group 1-winning sprinter and sire Garswood (GB).

Fillies from Galileo's current crop of yearlings include the progeny of Classic winner and stakes producer Beauty Parlour (GB) (Deep Impact {Jpn}); Hazariya (Ire), the dam of dual Derby winner Harzand (Ire) by Galileo's half-brother Sea The Stars (Ire) and four other stakes horses; three-time Group 1 and Classic winner Legatissimo (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}); Life Happened, the dam of G1 Queen Anne S. winner Tepin (Bernstein); Lillie Langtry (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}), a Group 1 winner and dam of Galileo Classic winners Minding (Ire) and Empress Josephine (Ire); Marsha (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}), the Group 1-winning sprinter and 6-million gns record breaker; another Group 1-winning sprinter in Mecca's Angel (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}); Meow (Ire) (Storm Cat), dam of dual Guineas winner and young sire Churchill (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and his Group 1-winning full-sister Clemmie (Ire); dual Group 1-winning sprinter and 2.1-million gns mare Quiet Reflection (GB) (Showcasing {GB}); GI American Oaks winner and $3.5-million purchase Daddys Lil Darling (Scat Daddy), her first foal; Jacqueline Quest (Ire) (Rock Of Gibraltar {Ire}), the disqualified G1 1000 Guineas winner and Grade I producer; and Godolphin's GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf and G1 Prix Marcel Boussac winner Wuheida (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), her first foal.

A number of those mares returned to the 12-time champion sire the following season, a book that resulted in 87 foals this spring. Producing Galileo colts this year were Amazing Maria, Different League, Hazariya, Legatissimo, Meow, Tiggy Wiggy and Quiet Reflection, while Again, Jacqueline Quest, Mecca's Angel, Penchant and Alpha Centauri foaled fillies.

Triple Group 1 winner Wild Illusion (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) produced a Galileo filly this year as her first foal, and she was the lone mare for Godolphin in Galileo's penultimate book. Sheikh Mohammed sent two mares the year prior, and has six homebred 2-year-olds by Galileo.

Other black-type mares to produce their first foals, by Galileo, this year included Fleeting (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}) and Signora Cabello (Ire), who both had fillies.

Other noteworthy mares to produce foals by Galileo this year include G2 Queen Mary S. scorer Acapulco (Scat Daddy), who had a colt; Group 1 producer Beauty Is Truth (Ire) (Pivotal {GB}) and her daughter Fire Lily (Ire) (Dansili {GB}), who both had colts; Chintz (Ire), who produced a full-sister to dual Group 1-winning miler The Gurkha (Ire); Danedrop (Ire) (Danehill), who foaled a half-brother to G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe and G1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth S. victress Danedream (Ger) (Lomitas {GB}); Devoted To You (Ire), whose colt is a full-brother to G1 Irish Derby winner Sovereign (Ire); Kheleyf's Silver (Ire), who produced a half-brother to Tiggy Wiggy; American champion Lady Eli (Divine Park), who produced a colt; Palace (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}), who foaled a full-brother to this year's one-time Derby favourite High Definition (Ire); Peter Brant's $3.6-million mare Quidura (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), who foaled a colt; Red Evie (Ire) (Intikhab), whose filly is a full-sister to G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe and GI Breeders' Cup Turf winner Found (Ire) as well as Best In The World (Ire), dam of this year's top 3-year-old filly Snowfall (Jpn) and Divinely (Ire), who hit the board in both the English and Irish Oaks; Strawberry Fledge (Kingmambo), whose colt is a half-brother to Group 1 winner and two-time Arc placegetter Cloth Of Stars (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}); and Coolmore's $8-million G1 Queen Anne S. winner Tepin, who foaled a filly.

The steady march of summer into autumn means that we are likely to soon starting seeing what the latest crop of Galileo 2-year-olds has in store. Galileo has had eight starters from his current crop of juveniles with three placed including Minding (Ire) and Empress Josephine (Ire)'s full-sister Tuesday (Ire), who split Alpha Centauri (Ire) (Mastercraftsman {Ire})'s full-sister Discoveries (Ire) and last weekend's smart maiden winner Mise Le Meas (Ire) (New Bay {GB}) when second at The Curragh on June 25. Galileo's 2018 book of mares was, naturally, as star-studded as ever, and other siblings to Classic winners gearing up for their debuts include Toy (Ire), the eighth foal and eighth Galileo out of the remarkable producer You'resothrilling, and therefore a full-sister to Classic winners Gleneagles (Ire), Marvellous (Ire) and Joan Of Arc (Ire); Downing Street (Ire), a full-brother to last year's Derby winner Serpentine (Ire); Twinkle (Ire), a full-sister to the prior year's Derby winner Anthony Van Dyck (Ire); One Way (Ire), a full-sister to Classic winner and Group 1 producer Misty For Me (Ire) and G1 Prix Marcel Boussac scorer Ballydoyle (Ire); and Gulliver's Travels (Ire), a half-brother to G1 Irish Oaks winner Chicquita (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}) and exciting 3-year-old filly Philomene (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) and full-brother to Group 1 winner Magic Wand (Ire) who cost Coolmore €2-million at Arqana last summer.

Other standouts on pedigree among the current Galileo 2-year-olds are Oriental World (Ire), Godolphin's half-brother to dual G1 Dubai World Cup winner Thunder Snow (Ire) (Helmet {Aus}) and four other stakes winners; Ingres (Ire), a colt who is the first foal out of the triple Group 1 winner Esoterique (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}); Nova Legend (Ire), a half-brother to Group 1-winning juvenile and young sire Shalaa (Ire); Denver (Ire), a full-brother to multiple Group 1-winning mares Magical (Ire) and Rhododendron (Ire); Figlio Del Re (Ire), a colt out of the triple Grade I winner I'm A Chatterbox (Munnings) who has been exported to the U.S.; Electress (GB), a filly who is the third foal out of G1 Irish 1000 Guineas winner Just The Judge (Ire) (Lawman {Fr}); Magical Lagoon (Ire), a half-sister to King George winner Novellist (Ire) (Monsun {Ger}); Champagne (Ire), a full-sister to Found, Divinely and Snowfall's dam Best In The World; Skylark (GB), a full-sister to Group 1 winners Mogul (GB) and Japan (GB) who cost Coolmore 3.4-million gns last year; First Emperor (GB), a half-brother to this year's G1 Falmouth S. winner Snow Lantern (GB) (Frankel {GB}); Astrologia (Ire), the first foal out of the beautifully bred G3 Musidora S. winner So Mi Dar (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}); Georges Seurat (Ire), a colt who is the first foal out of six-time Grade I winner and $6-million mare Stellar Wind (Curlin); General Idea (GB), the second foal out of The Queen's Australian Group 1 winner Sweet Idea (Aus) (Snitzel {Aus}); and History (Ire), a filly who is the first foal out of multiple graded stakes winner Prize Exhibit (GB) (Showcasing {GB}) who made 2.8-million gns at Tattersalls last year. Others that have 2-year-olds by Galileo include Beauty Is Truth, Chintz, Dancing Rain, Danedrop, Dialafara, Fire Lily, Life Happened, Quiet Reflection, Tepin and Tiggy Wiggy.

While the loss of Galileo will be heavily felt for years to come, so too will his enduring legacy, not least through his final four crops.

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The Weekly Wrap: Trials And Tribulation

Is the Derby picture clearer or murkier after the last week? We probably can't say for sure until after Thursday's Dante S., which may or may not feature Ballydoyle's erstwhile favoured one High Definition (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}).

At the moment, of those currently at 20/1 or shorter in the betting, there's certainly the potential for there to be a good story attached to the winner and, let's face it, the great old race in its first year of Cazoo sponsorship, certainly could do with that.

Who wouldn't love to see the Derby trophy return to Kingsclere 50 years after the great Mill Reef swept from Epsom glory to the Eclipse, the King George & Queen Elizabeth and on to the Arc? Youth Spirit (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) hasn't shown himself to be of Mill Reef's calibre yet but he cornered nicely at Chester to land the Vase, seeing out the extended 1m4f well despite his relatively sprint-orientated bottom line. He doesn't look terribly big, but then neither was Mill Reef.

The same can be said for Third Realm (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), who sealed a good week for Roger Varian and his owner/breeder Sheikh Mohammed Obaid when freewheeling down the hill at Lingfield to overthrow the Godolphin favourite Adayar (GB) (Frankel {GB}). It was also a good day for Third Realm's dam Reem Three (GB) (Mark Of Esteem {Ire}), who is compiling quite the record at stud, with the Lingfield Derby Trial winner becoming her fifth black-type performer. Another of them, Cape Byron (GB) (Shamardal), landed a competitive sprint at Haydock on Saturday at the age of seven, having also won last year's G3 Bengough S. for the Varian team.

While Third Realm looks to be on course for Epsom, the trainer's El Drama (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}), bought as a yearling for Sheikh Mohammed Obaid for 425,000gns, is more likely to head to the Prix du Jockey Club following his win in the listed Dee S. at Chester.

Varian also saddled the runner-up in the Lingfield Oaks Trial, Save A Forest (Ire) (Kingman {GB}), for the Gredley family, but his big market mover for the Cazoo Oaks last week was the twice-raced Teona (Ire), who was last seen winning a Newcastle maiden in November. Despite the margin of that victory being nine lengths, the Ali Saeed-owned filly must be tearing up the gallops to have been cut to around 5/1 for Epsom even before she steps out for her formal trial in Wednesday's Tattersalls Musidora S. Not only does she have the Derby winners Sea The Stars (Ire) and Authorized (Ire) as her sire and broodmare sire respectively, Teona comes from a family which has already brought her trainer Group 1 success. Her dam Ambivalent (Ire) won the G1 Pretty Polly S. as well as being third to Cirrus Des Aigles (Fr) in the Coronation Cup at Epsom.

Following some lacklustre performances by Ballydoyle representatives in various trials, normal order was restored somewhat at Leopardstown on Sunday, where Aidan O'Brien claimed a record 14th victory in the Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial. Following the route utilised for his first two Derby winners, the trainer opted for the Ballysax S./Derrinstown trial double for Bolshoi Ballet (Ire) and, emulating his sire Galileo (Ire) in victory, the dark brown colt shot into clear Derby favouritism as quickly as he accelerated away from his rivals off the home turn at Leopardstown. 

He has every right to be at the head of the market following that imperious display but it's worth remembering that O'Brien's three Derby winners in the last four years have been sent of at odds of 40/1, 13/2 and 25/1, and on each occasion he has had at least six runners in the race. There is, then, arguably a case to be made for Urban Sea's female-line descendant Sir Lamorak (Ire) (Camelot {GB}), who could be seen at York on Thursday. 

There's almost no getting away from Urban Sea when it comes to the Classics, and fans of inbreeding to superior mares will appreciate the appearance of Galileo and his fellow Derby winner and half-brother Sea The Stars in the pedigree of the facile winner of the Newmarket S., Mohaafeth (Ire) (Frankel {GB}), making him inbred 3×3 to the bluest of blue hens. He would also be a poignant, posthumous winner for Sheikh Hamdan.

Thrilling Continuity

One mare quickly propelling herself into that rarefied territory with the help of Urban Sea's son Galileo is You'resothrilling (Storm Cat). The sister to Giant's Causeway was not Urban Sea's equal on the racecourse but she was no slouch, winning the G2 Cherry Hinton S. and G3 Swordlestown Stud Sprint S. as a juvenile. On Sunday, she extended the record of her black-type-winning offspring to seven from seven when Joan Of Arc (Ire) became the latest in the G3 Irish 1,000 Guineas Trial and is now likely to attempt to emulate her sister Marvellous (Ire) by winning the Irish 1000 Guineas. 

The 16-year-old You'resothrilling has been mated exclusively with Galileo, but if it ain't broke there's no point trying to fix it. Gleneagles (Ire) followed the mare's first foal, Happily, to become a Classic winner, winning the English and Irish versions of the 2000 Guineas as well as the G1 St James's Palace S. He too has enjoyed a good run of late via his offspring and currently boasts a 33% strike-rate of winners to runners.

Late developer Insinuendo (Ire) landed the G3 Blue Wind S. for Willie McCreery on  only her third start on Saturday, while 3-year-old Eaglefield (Ire) made two quick back-to-back appearances at Gowran Park on Wednesday followed by Leopardstown on Sunday, where he held on for the win for the in-form Jim Bolger stable. So far in May, Gleneagles has also been represented by the listed winner Too Soon To Panic (Ire) as well as the smart G2 Prix Greffulhe winner Baby Rider (Fr). 

Classic Sires

In the year that Dawn Approach (Ire) moved back to stand at the stud where he was born, he is another former 2000 Guineas winner enjoying something of a purple patch. Of course his own Guineas winner Poetic Flare (Ire) has been the highlight and was one of seven winners from just 12 runners in Britain for the stallion in the last fortnight. During that same period in Ireland, he has added the listed winner Lunar Space (Ire) to his record, along with 3-year-old maiden winner Texas Moon (Ire) and juvenile scorer Strapped (Ire).

The 2014 Derby winner Australia (GB) has been enjoying a similarly good run. Mare Australis (Ire), Broome (Ire) and Sir Ron Priestley (GB) combined for a group-race treble on the first weekend of May, while Freedom Of Speech (Ire) was another winning 2-year-old from the Bolger stable last week. 

Sir Ron Priestley is set to make a swift return at York on Friday and is currently favourite for the G2 Yorkshire Cup. A burly horse who is nevertheless light on his feet, he runs in the trailblazing fashion so typical of those from the Mark Johnston stable and it would be no surprise to see him post some bold opposition to Stradivarius (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), not to mention his own half-brother Subjectivist (GB) (Teofilo {Ire}), in the top staying races this season.

Follow The Bear

Kodi Bear (Ire) was a smart miler in his day for Clive Cox and owner Olive Shaw and, now at Rathbarry Stud, he is starting to look a good value option for breeders at his current fee of €6,000. During a particularly fruitful spell he has been responsible for the listed-winning fillies Measure Of Magic (Ire) and Mystery Angel (Ire), while Sienna Bonnie (Ire) and Go Bears Go (Ire) have both been impressive winners from his second crop of juveniles in the past week. 

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the son of Kodiac (GB) has had some success when crossed with mares by his Rathbarry stud mate Acclamation (GB), and two of his three stakes winners to date are out of mares by Acclamation's sire Royal Applause (GB) and son Dark Angel (Ire). 

That Dark Angel cross features in Mystery Angel, who heads to Wednesday's G3 Musidora S., and in A Pint Of Bear (Ire), who won for the third time on Monday. 

It was also a notable weekend on the international stage for Germany's leading sire Soldier Hollow (GB). A rare foray to Britain for a German runner ended in victory for the Andreas Wohler-trained Axana (Ger) in the G3 Chartwell Fillies' S. at Lingfield. That same day, another daughter of Soldier Hollow, the 3-year-old Reine d'Amour, took the listed Henkel-Stutepreis at Dusseldorf, while on Sunday the veteran son of In The Wings (GB) featured as the broodmare sire of G1 NHK Mile winner Schnell Meister (Ger) (Kingman {GB}) in Japan. The 3-year-old colt is out of Gestut Wittenkindshof's G1 Preis der Diana winner Serienholde (Ger) and was bred by Katsumi Yoshida's Northern Farm. He joins recent stakes winners Waldkonig (GB) and Wirko (Ger) in being a son of Kingman from a German family replete with class and stamina.

Lanwades Goes Global

Lanwades Stud suffered the loss of Leroidesanimaux (Brz) and Archipenko in 2016 and 2017, but the lingering influence of both stallions has been felt recently, particularly in Australia.

On May 1, Wyclif (GB) (Archipenko) won the listed Port Adelaide Cup and that was followed by a stakes double for Leroidesanimaux down under when Le Don De Vie (GB) won the listed Warrnambool Cup on Thursday and Zaaki claimed the G2 Hollinsdale S. at the Gold Coast on Saturday. All three were bred at Lanwades by Kirsten Rausing. 

The breeder has, however, enjoyed black-type success closer to home and in her own colours on consecutive weekends. The G1 Yorkshire Oaks runner-up Alpinista (GB) (Frankel {GB}) got her season off on a positive footing by winning the listed Daisy Warwick Fillies' S. at Goodwood, but she was trumped in some style on Saturday when Albaflora (GB) (Muhaarar {GB}) stormed to a seven-length victory in the listed Buckhounds S. The greys are descendants respectively of the Group 1-winning Alzao full-sisters Albanova (GB) and Alborada (GB).

Albaflora was not the only winner for the family and Rausing on Saturday as her 3-year-old Ralph Beckett stable-mate Aleas (GB) (Archipenko) posted his third consecutive win at Haydock in just four starts, and by a similarly impressive margin. 

We Must Do Better

The TDN team in New Jersey will keep us abreast of the saga of the latest failed drug test for a Bob Baffert runner. That it was Medina Spirit (Protonico) in America's biggest race of all, and a result which had provided a first major success for a significant new owner to the sport, not to mention the thrill of a lifetime for the horse's small breeder, only makes this story even sorrier.

Racing is in trouble all around the world, and every trainer, owner and breeder is beholden to maintain the highest standards of welfare at whatever level of the sport at which they participate, even if that means resting a horse rather than reaching for the corticosteroids to perform permitted veterinary procedures. In fact, especially so. 

Without the horses, racing is nothing. If we continue to allow situations which appear to show horses being abused in the name of our entertainment, then we will have nothing, and that is all that we deserve. 

Clutching at straws in the maelstrom of this latest bad-news incident for racing, the one positive aspect is the loyalty shown by Medina Spirit's owner Amr Zedan to the trainer in the aftermath of Sunday's revelations. He ended his verbal show of support for Baffert with the phlegmatic line, “This, too, shall pass.”

It not only shows a temperament which looks ideally suited to the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune which racing can often throw at its participants, but a sense of loyalty which is all too often missing in the sport. Let's hope it doesn't turn out to be misplaced.

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Galileo’s Joan Of Arc Too Strong In the Guineas Trial

Making all in Sunday's G3 Irish 1,000 Guineas Trial over a mile at Leopardstown, Ballydoyle's Joan of Arc (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) was in the process becoming a sixth pattern-race winner from seven foals for Coolmore's remarkable You'resothrilling (Storm Cat). Last seen finishing sixth in the seven-furlong G3 Ballylinch Stud 1,000 Guineas Trial at this track Apr. 11, the full-sister to Gleneagles (Ire) set an honest tempo under Ryan Moore and stayed on strongly to deny Flirting Bridge (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) by 1 3/4 lengths on a day when racing prominently seemed to offer an advantage. The 11-4 favourite also maintains her dam's 100% record of producing group performers, with the year-older Vatican City (Ire) the only one not to score in that company although he was second in the 2020 G1 Irish 2000 Guineas.

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