Cover image courtesy of Epsom Downs Racecourse
For so long now we have been used to the Galileo (Ire) factor at Epsom, and while none of his final small crop of 13 has made the line-up for the Derby or the Oaks, we still find his name all over the place on the pages of this year's runners, merely starting to shuffle back a bit in the generation game.
Galileo's sons Frankel (GB), Australia (GB) and Circus Maximus (Ire) each have at least one runner in the Derby, and Frankel and Australia also have Oaks runners. Eight of the 19 Derby runners and seven of the nine fillies in the Oaks have a dose of Galileo blood.
The more significant influence is of course Galileo's dam, Urban Sea (USA), who, through her other Derby-winning son Sea The Stars (Ire), can be found in the pedigrees of 19 of the 28 runners in the two Epsom Classics, and in the case of Nightime Dancer (Ire) and Tuscan Hills (Fr) she is there twice, top and bottom.
Galileo (Ire)
Sea The Stars has two Derby runners – Sea Scout (Ire) and The Lion In Winter (Ire) – both bred by his own breeder, the Tsui family's Sunderland Holding. His son Affinisea (Ire) is the sire of Al Wasl Storm (Ire), and Sea The Stars is the broodmare sire of two runners in the Derby and Qilin Queen (Ire) in the Oaks.
What must be acknowledged is the increasing influence of Dubawi (Ire) through a range of his sons. No fewer than four of those – New Bay (GB), Too Darn Hot (GB), Night Of Thunder (Ire), and Ghaiyyath (Ire) – account for six Derby runners, while Dubawi is himself represented by Delacroix (Ire). It is a particularly noteworthy achievement for Ghaiyyath to have his first-crop sons Stanhope Gardens (Ire) and Nightime Dancer in the Derby field, Ghaiyyath himself being out of Galileo's first ever Classic winner back in 2006, Nightime (Ire).
Dubawi of course provided last year's Oaks winner, Ezeliya (Fr), and is the broodmare sire of 2021 Derby winner Adayar (Ire).
Dubawi (Ire) | Standing at Darley
Of the Derby sires for this year's race, only Frankel, Sea The Stars and Justify (USA) have sired a previous winner: Adayar, Harzand (Ire) and City Of Troy (USA) respectively. Frankel has also supplied two Oaks winners in Anapurna (GB) and Soul Sister (GB), while one of the early top-liners for Sea The Stars was his Oaks-winning daughter Taghrooda (GB).
The late Deep Impact (Jpn) has been represented at Epsom by Derby winner Auguste Rodin (Ire) and Oaks winner Snowfall (Jpn), and Deep Impact's son Study Of Man (Ire) has a runner in each Classic this weekend: Rogue Impact (GB) and Revoir (GB).
Aside from Coolmore and Godolphin, the only other breeder to be represented in the Derby and the Oaks is Annemarie O'Brien, with Tennessee Stud (Ire) and Wemightakedlongway (Ire). Both are trained by her son Joseph, and in the case of the latter, the filly's sire Australia was also ridden by Joseph O'Brien to win the Derby, trained of course by his father and Annemarie's husband, Aidan. Some family.
G1 Betfred Derby
Al Wasl Storm (Ire) (Affinisea (Ire) - Dearborn (Fr) {Martaline (GB)})
Breeder: Gavin Wallace
Yes, on the face of it, Affinisea, who ran only twice at four and five, and whose best winner to date is the Grade 2-winning hurdler Hollygrove Cha Cha, shouldn't really have a runner in the Derby. But when you frame it differently, and consider that the stallion is by Derby winner Sea The Stars and a half-brother to Irish Derby winner Soldier Of Fortune (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) then it starts to look a lot less unusual. Al Wasl Storm, a €7,000 (AU$12,300) purchase at the Tattersalls Ireland November National Hunt Foal Sale, is his unraced dam's first offspring. The mare's family is pretty short on black type, but he will certainly see out the trip while others may fall short. He coped readily with the tight turns of Chester when making all to win his maiden there in May, and he had a spin around Epsom in last week's gallops morning, but will need to show significant progress.
Al Wasl Storm (Ire) | Image courtesy of Epsom Downs Racecourse
Damysus (GB) (Frankel (GB) – Legerete (USA) {Rahy (USA)})
Breeder: Newsells Park Stud & Merry Fox Stud
The Dante runner-up was also present for Epsom's Derby gallops morning last week and looked right at home on the track at a click below racing pace. We know Frankel can get a good one at just about any distance, and Legerete was herself a Group 2 winner over 1m4f who has produced two Listed winners over a mile among her eight winners. The extended family also includes Arc runner-up Aventure (Ire) and Prix Saint-Alary second Audubon Park (Fr). Legerete is now 21 but has a colt on the ground this year by Classic sire Nathaniel (Ire), and is back in foal to him. This colt is at least named to succeed as, in Greek mythology, Damysus was said to be the fastest giant, and his name translates to 'conqueror'.
Damysus (GB) | Image courtesy of The Jockey Club
Delacroix (Ire) (Dubawi (Ire) – Tepin (USA) {Bernstein (USA)})
Breeder: Tepin Syndicate
Tepin, an US$8 million (AU$12.3 million) purchase at Fasig-Tipton's November Sale, and a winner at the Breeders' Cup and Royal Ascot among her 13 triumphs, died two years ago at the age of 12 and her loss is looking increasingly lamentable. Her third foal, Grateful (Ire), a daughter of Galileo, won last season's G1 Prix de Royallieu and now her final foal Delacroix is co-favourite for the Derby. He has romped through two Derby trials in Ireland over 10f and while the extra two furlongs are a step into the unknown, there is cause for hope that he will take it in his stride.
Delacroix (Ire) | Image courtesy of Horse Racing Ireland
Green Storm (Ire) (Circus Maximus (Ire) – Banimpire (Ire) {Holy Roman Emperor (Ire)})
Breeder: Banimpire Syndicate
Ahmad Al Shaikh has pulled off the feat of having two Derby runners bought collectively for €19,000 (AU$33,450), for this colt was a €12,000 (AU$21,000) Goffs Orby purchase and is now rated 107, having won at Yarmouth last September before placing at G1 and G2 level. Admittedly, the G1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud featured only three runners, the winner being Tennessee Stud, and those first two home will line up for the Derby. Green Storm is from the first crop of Circus Maximus, who now resides solely in New Zealand at Windsor Park Stud after three seasons of shuttling between there and Coolmore in Ireland. His dam Banimpire was a classy racemare, winning the G2 Ribblesdale and being beaten a short-head by Blue Bunting (USA) to finish second in the Irish Oaks. She's a half-sister to the dam of Melbourne Cup winner Twilight Payment (Ire) and is out of the 1m4f Listed winner My Renee (USA).
Lambourn (Ire) (Australia (GB) – Gossamer Wings (USA) {Scat Daddy (USA)})
Breeder: Coolmore
His dam was beaten a short-head when second in the G2 Queen Mary Stakes and appeared averse to racing beyond 5f, but Australia has done plenty of lifting here when it comes to stamina and Lambourn is already proven at the trip, having beaten Lazy Griff in the Chester Vase. Gossamer Wings is one of 10 winners for her dam Lavender Baby (USA), four of which earned black type in America, including her full-sister, the Zia Park Oaks (9f) winner Lavender Chrissie (USA).
Lazy Griff (Ger) (Protectionist (Ger) – Linarda (Den) {Rock Of Gibraltar (Ire)})
Breeder: Gestut Westerberg
If Lazy Griff defies his long odds to win, he would be the first Derby winner since 1906 to be sired by a Melbourne Cup winner after Spearmint (GB) (Carbine {NZ}). Bred at Gestut Westerberg, outside Frankfurt, by Peter and Aline Rodde, he was bought as a yearling at BBAG for €75,000 (AU$132,000) and is a full-brother to the G3 Bavarian Classic winner Lambo (Ger). Their Danish-bred dam won the Swiss 1,000 Guineas. This trip will be no problem.
Midak (Fr) (Footstepsinthesand (GB) – Minya (Fr) {Sinndar (Ire)})
Breeder: Aga Khan Studs
In a year in which the late Aga Khan is honoured at Epsom, it is not only good to see his operation with a Derby runner in the supplemented Midak, but also fitting that the G2 Prix Greffulhe winner is out of a mare by Sinndar, the Derby hero of 2000. Minya had plenty of stamina herself, twice winning over 1m6f, and her dam Minatlya (Fr), is a sister to the high-class stayer Manighar (Fr), a treble Group 1 winner in Australia. This unbeaten colt is an intriguing addition to the race and certainly should not be overlooked, especially when considering the excellent form of his trainer Francis Graffard.
Midak (Fr) | Image courtesy of France Galop
New Ground (GB) (New Bay (GB) – Gaining (GB) {American Post (GB)})
Breeder: Juddmonte Farms
The second of the French supplementary entries, New Ground is the second foal of his dam, who won the G3 Prix Fille de l'Air before earning further black type in America. Stamina doesn't appear to be a concern, as the colt was pitched straight in over 1m2f for his juvenile debut, which he won. He may well appreciate the rain which is likely to fall over the next few days at Epsom.
New Ground (GB) | Image courtesy of France Galop
Nightime Dancer (Ire) (Ghaiyyath (Ire) – Stella d'Italia (GB) {Sea The Stars(Ire)})
Breeder: GCE Farm
Not only inbred to Urban Sea 4×3 through Galileo and Sea The Stars, Nightime Dancer also has the same repetition of Colorado Dancer (GB) in his pedigree through the colt's paternal great grandsire Dubai Millennium (GB) and his half-sister Ragsah (Ire), the dam of Stella d'Italia. Proven over the distance but will need to take another big step forward.
Nightwalker (GB) (Frankel (GB) – Sleep Walk (GB) {Oasis Dream (GB)})
Breeder: Juddmonte Farms
This is a family in the news of late, with Sleep Walk's half-sisters Suffused (GB) and Alienate (GB) appearing over the weekend as the dams of group winners Sunly (GB) and Estrange (Ire). Another half-sibling of Sleep Walk is Logician (GB), the winner of the St Leger in 2019 and also by Frankel, making him a close relation of this colt. Bated Breath (GB) and Cityscape (GB) also feature in the family.
Pride Of Arras (Ire) (New Bay (GB) – Parnell's Dream (GB) {Oasis Dream (GB)})
Breeder: Mr & Mrs David Aykroyd
The Dante winner impressed many on only his second start and another furlong and a half should be within his grasp. His dam won over a mile and a half, and her dam is a sister to the St Leger winner Brian Boru (Ire) (Sadler's Wells {USA}), while Derby and Arc winner Workforce (GB) is also a family member.
Rogue Impact (GB) (Study Of Man (Ire) – Just So (Ire) {Galileo (Ire)})
Breeder: Eric Chen
Yet another winner of the St Leger pops up in this family as Rogue Impact's dam Just So is a once-raced half-sister to Mukhadram (GB), their dam Magic Tree (UAE) being a half-sister to Godolphin's 2009 winner of the final Classic, Mastery (GB). Rogue Impact beat Al Wasl Storm when breaking his maiden over this trip at Lingfield in April but was later last of the six runners in the Derby Trial back at that track. He clearly has ability and stamina, and he is bred along very similar lines to 2023 winner Auguste Rodin, but this is likely to overface him at the stage of his career.
Ruling Court (USA) (Justify (USA) – Inchargeofme (GB) {High Chaparral (Ire)})
Breeder: Nursery Place, Manfuso & Wilhite
The 2,000 Guineas winner is by the sire of last year's Derby winner out of a mare by the 2002 winner and hails from the same Inchmurrin family as The Lion In Winter. Grade III-placed in America, Inchargeofme is a sister to G1 Racing Post Trophy runner-up Johann Strauss (GB) and is a granddaughter of the Listed Ballymacoll Stud Stakes winner Incheni (Ire).
Ruling Court (USA) | Image courtesy of Godolphin
Sea Scout (Ire) (Sea The Stars (Ire) – We Do Xin (GB) {Shamardal (USA)})
Breeder: Sunderland Holding
Already a winner over course and distance in the Blue Riband Trial, Sea Scout's pedigree holds further Epsom claims in that his granddam Moonshadow (GB) is a full-sister to Lordship Stud's Oaks winner Love Divine (GB), later the dam of St Leger winner Sixties Icon (GB). His dam was unraced but has already produced an Australian Listed winner, Al Aabir (Ire), from an earlier mating to Sea The Stars.
Stanhope Gardens (Ire) (Ghaiyyath (Ire) – Pure Art (GB) {Dutch Art (GB)})
Breeder: Tulpark Ltd
He's yet to go beyond a mile but there is reason to hope that Stanhope Gardens will cope with the step up. His Barnett-bred dam Pure Art may be by a sprinter but she won over 1m2f herself and is a half-sister to Godolphin's Romsdal (GB), who was third in the Derby and runner-up in the St Leger. Their granddam is the Irish and Yorkshire Oaks winner Pure Grain (GB).
Tennessee Stud (Ire) (Wootton Bassett (GB) – In My Dreams (Ire) {Sadler's Wells (USA)})
Breeder: Mrs Annemarie O'Brien
Could Wootton Bassett collect a third Classic of the season? Tennessee Stud was a Group 1 winner over 1m2f on heavy ground last year and has been in action just once this year when third to Delacroix in the Leopardstown Derby Trial. His dam made no impact in two starts but is a Sadler's Wells half-sister to the great Rock Of Gibraltar (Ire).
The Lion In Winter (Ire) (Sea The Stars (Ire) – What A Home (Ire) {Lope De Vega (Ire)})
Breeder: Sunderland Holding
Like Ruling Court, he is from the family of Inchinor (GB), and his dam was a 94-rated mile-and-half winner and half-sister to the Irish Oaks runner-up Venus De Milo (Ire). He'll need to settle better than he did at York but stamina shouldn't be an issue.
Tornado Alert (Ire) (Too Darn Hot (GB) – Bint Almatar (USA) {Kingmambo (USA)})
Breeder: Godolphin
Fourth in the 2,000 Guineas behind Ruling Court, he's a half-brother to the G1 Metropolitan winner Just Fine (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}). His dam won over a mile and is a half-sister to the classy Master Of The Seas (Ire), who was just touched off in the Guineas and later won the Breeders' Cup Mile. Bit of a stamina question mark.
Tuscan Hills (Fr) (Night Of Thunder (Ire) – Taqleed (GB) {Sea The Stars (Ire)})
Breeder: John Richard Wheeler
Oaks winners as his second and third dams should help his cause, as does having the Derby-winning half-brothers Sea The Stars and Galileo in the second and third generations of his pedigree. Taqleed was unraced but her first foal was a Listed-winning juvenile in Italy. The stiff mile of Pontefract was within his range when winning the Listed Silver Tankard Stakes at two but he'll need to improve on his comeback run when seventh in the Dante.
