Pedigree Insights: Group Success for Galileo's Sire Sons

In Europe everyone has become used to seeing Galileo dominate affairs, but last week was a bit of an exception. Even though he notched up first and second in the G2 Debutante S., thanks to Magical and Happily, and saw his son Order of St George win the G3 Irish St Leger Trial, Galileo was arguably outpointed by his stallion sons.

As many as four of them–Frankel, Teofilo, New Approach and Rip Van Winkle–enjoyed stakes success last week. We also saw another son, Enable's sire Nathaniel, continue his good form, even siring first, second and fourth in a good-class Newbury maiden in which Frankel was responsible for the third. Nathaniel, like Frankel and Teofilo, has enjoyed group success at the Deauville meeting, thanks to God Given in the G3 Prix Minerve nine days ago.

Frankel enjoyed a terrific few days last week, with Eminent, Lady Frankel and Rostropovich all enjoying group success, while Queen Kindly showed she retains her speed by leading throughout to land the Listed Flying Fillies' S.  There was nearly a fifth stakes success when the 2-year-old Red Mist failed by only a short head to land the Denford S. There was also a listed placing for Middle East, a filly who thereby became the 20th black-type earner from the 111 foals in Frankel's first crop.

Lady Frankel had reached a more noteworthy landmark when she snatched victory in the G3 Prix de Lieurey, as she became the 11th group winner from that first crop. That's a remarkable 10% group/graded winners, and that total doesn't yet include several of Frankel's highest-rated 3-year-olds, such as Cracksman (Timeform 123+), Mirage Dancer (118p), Dream Castle (118), Count Octave (111p), Atty Persse (109), UAE King (108p) and Mori (107).

Teofilo suffered a sizeable setback when Permian met with a fatal accident at Arlington Park, but the Kildangan stallion bounced back with a fine group-race double. Last year's G1 2000 Guineas runner-up Massaat did very well to win the G2 Betfred Hungerford S. after an absence of 373 days. If he can build on this bright comeback, he will earn himself a place among the Shadwell stallions–especially when Teofilo's eldest stallion son Havana Gold continues to shine with his first crop. Treasuring became his second group winner when she held on to take the G3 Curragh S. on Sunday and then his G3 Molecomb S. winner Havana Grey finished a creditable second in the G1 Prix Morny. Like Havana Gold, Massaat is another of Teofilo's more speedily-bred sons, as he is out of a 2-year-old sprint winner by Acclamation.

Teofilo had done even better in the race before the Morny, with his tough 4-year-old daughter Ajman Princess making all to land the G1 Prix Jean Romanet. This filly had the unenviable distinction of being one of the best maidens in training last year, when she was second in her first four starts, on one occasion accounting for the likes of The Black Princess and Queen's Trust when runner-up in the G2 Ribblesdale S. That effort encouraged her connections to pay a substantial amount to supplement her to the G1 Irish Oaks, but she went down in the stalls and finished last of 11. She missed the rest of the season after being found to be lame behind following her Irish venture.

The enforced rest has subsequently proved a blessing in disguise. Her victory at Deauville was her third in six starts this year, another of her wins being a five-length success at listed level at Goodwood. Her record now stands at an enviable 11-3-5-2, with the Irish Oaks being her only unplaced effort. Her fourth dam Dunette fared much better when she tackled Classic company, as she won the G1 Prix de Diane. Dunette was one of the mares who contributed to Sadler's Wells's extraordinary first crop, as their son French Glory enjoyed group success on both sides of the Atlantic, notably taking the GI Rothmans International.

Ajman Princess was conceived in 2012 and it isn't hard to see why a son of Galileo was chosen for her. Her dam Reem Three, a useful 10-furlong performer is a daughter of the G1 2000 Guineas winner Mark of Esteem. Galileo's nine foals out of Mark of Esteem mares had done extremely well, with three of them becoming group winners.

In fact, these three were all Group 1 performers. Treasure Beach won the 2011 G1 Irish Derby after a narrow defeat in the Epsom version; Kite Wood was a three-quarter-length second in the 2009 St Leger before becoming a Group 2 winner in the Prix Vicomtesse Vigier; and Mikhail Glinka was second in the G1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud, before going on to win the G3 Queen's Vase and the G2 Dubai City of Gold. Galileo had also done well with mares by Mark of Esteem's sire Darshaan, the prime example being Alandi (G1 Irish St leger and G1 Prix du Cadran).

Mention of races like the St Leger, Queen's Vase and Prix du Cadran highlights that Galileo's partnership with Mark of Esteem and Darshaan was a fairly sure way of producing a stayer. Teofilo, with his Danehill blood, isn't quite as strong an influence for stamina as Galileo, but Ajman Princess stays a mile and a half well, even though her front-running victory at Deauville came over a mile and a quarter.

Frankel's son Eminent, who also made all over Deauville's 10-furlong course to land the Prix Guillaume d'Ornano, is inbred 3 x 3 to Sadler's Wells, whereas Ajman Princess's pedigree features the brothers Sadler's Wells and Fairy King in the third generation. Frankel's group winners also include Cunco, another inbred 3 x 3 to Sadler's Wells (plus 3 x 3 to Danehill) and Last Kingdom, who is inbred 3 x 4 to Sadler's Wells. His useful mile-and-a-half colt The Grand Visir is another inbred 3 x 3 to Sadler's Wells, while the tough Group 3 winner Frankuus has a second dam by Fairy King.

With Nathaniel's exceptional daughter Enable being inbred 3 x 2 to Sadler's Wells, are we seeing the start of a very rewarding new trend?

Teofilo could be credited with setting this trend when his first-crop son Parish Hall won the G1 Dewhurst S. in 2011. With a dam by Montjeu, Parish Hall is another inbred 3 x 3 to Sadler's Wells. Teofilo's G2-winning daughter Samba Brazil is inbred 3 x 4, while his smart Australian miler Happy Clapper is another with Sadler's Wells's brother Fairy King in the third generation. Galileo's Breeders' Cup Turf winner Red Rocks also has Fairy King in the third generation, as does his Australian Group 2 winner Sertorius.

The other point worth making while on the topic of the Galileo clan is that any breeder lucky enough to own a Kingmambo mare should be heading in that direction. Galileo has four black-type winners among his 24 foals with a dam by Kingmambo and they feature the Derby winner Ruler of The World and the Eclipse winner Ulysses. Teofilo has two group winners out of mares by Kingmambo's son Dubai Destination, while Nathaniel has one. Frankel has the very encouraging record of four winners from four runners out of Kingmambo mares, with the group winners Eminent and Last Kingdom leading the way, and his Group 2-placed daughter Mori has a second dam by Kingmambo.

And don't forget that Sea The Stars, who has reaped such rich rewards as the Group 1 winners Cloth of Stars and Zelzal from Kingmambo mares, is a half-brother to none other than Galileo.