A son of the legendary Sadler’s Wells (USA) and the 1993 G1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe heroine Urban Sea (USA) (Miswaki {USA}), Galileo was bred to be good - and he was. He won three Group 1s, all in 2001 - the Epsom Derby S., King George VI and Queen Elizabeth S. and Irish Derby S.
Galileo retired to stand at Coolmore Stud in 2002 and, after an incredible career in the breeding barn, he was put to sleep in July 2021 on humane grounds, owing to a chronic, non-responsive, debilitating injury to the left fore foot.
Galileo (Ire)
With a combined 555 Group/Grade 1 victories from 99 individual Group/Grade 1 winners, Galileo is without doubt one of the greatest stallions of all-time.
Among his leading progeny is Frankel (GB) - a nine-time Group 1 winner who is arguably the best racehorse ever, as well as Magical (Ire), Waldgeist (GB), Minding (Ire), Igugu, Churchill (Ire), Kyprios (Ire), New Approach (Ire), Rip Van Winkle (Ire), Australia (GB), Cape Blanco (Ire) and Nathaniel (Ire).
Many of these horses have gone on to become elite stallions themselves, none more so than Frankel, who is the sire of 33 individual Group 1 winners.
Frankel (GB) | Standing at Juddmonte Farms
Galileo has sired the winners of some of the biggest races in the world, including the G1 Irish 1000 Guineas, G1 Ascot Gold Cup, G1 Epsom Derby, G1 St James’s Palace S., G1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe and G1 Breeders’ Cup Turf.
He has had nine Group 1 winners in Australia, with the most notable being Adelaide (Ire), who claimed the G1 Cox Plate in 2014, and Magic Wand (Ire), who was much the best in the 2019 G1 Mackinnon S. The stallion’s other elite-level scorers in Australia are Linton, The United States (Ire), Seville (Ger), Sousa (NZ), Cape Of Good Hope (Ire), Foundry (Ire) and Niwot.
One race that is missing from Galileo’s remarkable CV, however, is the G1 Melbourne Cup.
He came close to being the sire of a Melbourne Cup winner in 2007 when his sons filled the minor placings behind Efficient (NZ) (Zabeel {NZ}). The Luca Cumani-trained Purple Moon (Ire) finished second, while Mahler (GB) was third for Aidan O’Brien.
In 2017, the O’Brien-trained Johannes Vermeer (Ire), who now stands at Cornwall Park Stud in Victoria, placed third behind Rekindling (GB), then 12 months later, another O’Brien trainee, Il Paradiso (USA), was third, 0.3l behind Vow And Declare (Declaration Of War {USA}).
Johannes Vermeer (Ire) | Standing at Cornwall Park Stud
When Twilight Payment (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}) handed Joseph O’Brien a maiden Melbourne Cup triumph in 2020, Galileo’s son Tiger Moth (Ire) ran second for father Aidan.
While he may not yet be a Melbourne Cup-producing sire, Galileo has had an impact on the great race. Both Twilight Payment and the 2018 hero Cross Counter (GB) are by Teofilo (Ire) and he himself is a son of the exceptional stallion.
A four-pronged attack
Two-and-a-half years after Galileo’s death, he continues to sire elite-level winners. Bolshoi Ballet (Ire) landed the G1 Belmont Derby on the day the racing world said goodbye to him, and since then, Russian Emperor (Ire), Tuesday (Ire), Kyprios, Magical Lagoon (Ire), Proud And Regal (Ire), Savethelastdance (Ire) and Warm Heart (Ire) have all scored in top company.
Galileo has four chances to crack the magical 100 Group/Grade 1 winners on Tuesday, with Okita Soushi (Ire), Magical Lagoon, Serpentine (Ire) and Interpretation (Ire) all representing him in the two-mile staying contest at Flemington.
The market suggests a first Cup victory for Galileo is unlikely. The Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained Serpentine - a winner of the G1 Epsom Derby in 2020 - is the shortest-priced of the quartet at $41. Okita Soushi and Interpretation are both $101 shots, while Magical Lagoon is rated a $126 chance.
Gallery: Galileo's (Ire) representatives in this year's G1 Melbourne Cup, images courtesy of Racing Photos
But, as history shows, there has been a few longshot winners over the years. Prince Of Penzance (NZ) (Pentire {GB}) started at 100/1 when he saluted in 2015; Viewed (Scenic {Ire}) belied his 40/1 starting price in 2008; Piping Lane (Lanesborough {Ire}) was largely unwanted, sent off at 40/1 when he carried just 48kg to victory in 1972; Hi Jinx (Pride Of Kildare {Ire}) was a 50/1 underdog in 1960, Rimfire (Enfield {Ire}) was 80/1 when he won under 15-year-old apprentice jockey Ray Neville in 1948, and in 1940, Old Rowley (The Buzzard {GB}) was an upset winner at 100/1.
Serpentine is from the Danehill Dancer (Ire) mare Remember When (Ire), while Okita Soushi is out of the Fastnet Rock mare Amicus and she herself won the G1 Thousand Guineas in 2014. Magical Lagoon is from Night Lagoon (Ger) (Lagunas {GB}), and Interpretation is out of the Dansili (GB) mare Daldiyna (Fr).
Leviathan owner Lloyd Williams already has seven Melbourne Cups in his trophy cabinet, and he has Serpentine and sporting his famous silks (navy, white armbands and cap) on Tuesday.
Lloyd Williams | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
Williams has enjoyed great success with Galileo’s progeny. The Williams-owned Order Of St George (Ire), Johannes Vermeer, Foundry (Ire), Alandi (Ire), Seville and Linton all won at the highest level, so it would be fitting if Serpentine was the horse to register the ton of Group/Grade 1s for the late stallion.
“His runs have been terrific this time in,” Williams said of Serpentine when speaking to Racing.com. “All credit to Adrian (Bott) and Gai (Waterhouse) as I think they’ve done an outstanding job with him.
“His (Serpentine’s) runs have been terrific this time in. All credit to Adrian (Bott) and Gai (Waterhouse) as I think they’ve done an outstanding job with him.” - Lloyd Williams
“That extra year in Australia certainly helps, but what we’ve seen is they’ve been riding him with a sit rather than leading all the time and he’s reacting much better to that.
“With 58 kilos, his run in the Bart Cummings was exceptional.”
Galileo being this year’s Melbourne Cup-producing sire is improbable, but he may well feature in the pedigree of the horse that is first across the line. Vauban (Fr) has long been the Cup favourite and the Willie Mullins-trained gelding is a son of Galiway (GB), who himself is a modestly performed son of Galileo. Galiway has 21 stakes wins to his credit and has sired two Group 1 winners - Sealiway (Fr) and Sunway (Fr).
Furthermore, Soulcombe (GB) - a Group 3 victor in Melbourne - is also by a son of Galileo in Frankel. The G1 Caulfield Cup hero Without A Fight (Ire), whose sire is Teofilo, and More Felons (Ire) - a son of Churchill (Ire) - are also both grandsons of Galileo.
