By Tom Frary
The sight of a son of Galileo (Ire) out on his own from pillar-to-post at The Curragh might be something soon to be available only in re-runs, but on Sunday his son Chief Little Rock (Ire) offered at least one more exhibition in his honour as Wayne Lordan dominated the G3 Heider Family Stables Gallinule S.
Coming on from his return third in Epsom's Listed Blue Riband Trial last month, the G2 Beresford S. and G3 Autumn S. runner-up who started as the 11-4 second favourite had clear daylight on his peers throughout. Continuing the relentless gallop with which his sire is so renowned, he hit the line with 3 3/4 lengths to spare over Stromberg (GB) (Iffraaj {GB}) in a strong Irish Derby trial.
Aidan O'Brien said of the winner, “He stays very well, is an honest horse and could go to Ascot or back here for the Irish Derby. He'd love going a mile and a half. We felt in Epsom it was just a bit of a dawdle for him.”
That was quality …
, who holds entries in the Irish Derby and the King Edward VII Stakes at Royal Ascot, surges to Group Three glory in the Gallinule Stakes @curraghrace @Ballydoyle | @coolmorestud pic.twitter.com/ZVWGdOmXKY
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) May 26, 2024
Pedigree Notes
Chief Little Rock, who is the 253rd group winner for Galileo, is out of the G1 Australian Thousand Guineas heroine Amicus (Aus) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) whose son Okita Sushi (Ire) also by Galileo was placed in the G3 Irish St Leger Trial. The second dam Gold Chant (Aus) (El Moxie) is kin to the stable's four-times group 1-winning sire Starspangledbanner (Aus), while the family includes other multiple group 1-winning sires in Elvstroem (Aus) and Haradasun (Aus). Amicus's 2-year-old full-brother to Chief Little Rock is named Medallion (Ire), while she also has a yearling colt by Frankel (GB).
Sunday, Curragh, Ireland
HEIDER FAMILY STABLES GALLINULE S.-G3, €60,000, Curragh, 5-26, 3yo, 10fT, 2:08.23, gd/yl.
1–CHIEF LITTLE ROCK (IRE), 131, c, 3, by Galileo (Ire)
1st Dam: Amicus (Aus) (G1SW-Aus, $641,722), by Fastnet Rock (Aus)
2nd Dam: Gold Chant (Aus), by El Moxie
3rd Dam: Gold Anthem (Aus), by Made Of Gold
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN; 1ST GROUP WIN. O-Susan Magnier, Michael Tabor & Derrick Smith; B-Coolmore (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien; J-Wayne Lordan. €36,000. Lifetime Record: GSP-Eng, 6-2-3-1, $99,387. *Full to Okita Soushi (Ire), GSP-Ire, $230,225. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Stromberg (GB), 131, c, 3, Iffraaj (GB)–Stacey Sutton (Fr), by Tertullian. 1ST BLACK TYPE; 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. (22,000gns Wlg '21 TADEWE; €30,000 Ylg '22 TATIRY; €66,667 RNA 2yo '23 GOFFDU). O-Teme Valley; B-Aston Mullins Stud (GB); T-Joseph O'Brien. €12,000.
3–Ecureuil Secret (Fr), 131, c, 3, Wootton Bassett (GB)–Vitizza (Fr), by King's Best. 1ST BLACK TYPE; 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. (€22,000 Ylg '22 ARQDOY; €60,000 RNA 2yo '23 ARQMAY). O-Aidan J Ryan; B-Ecurie de l'Aure (FR); T-Edward O'Grady. €6,000.
Margins: 3 3/4, HF, NK. Odds: 2.75, 7.50, 14.00.
Also Ran: The Equator (Ire), Vestigia (Ire), Norwalk Havoc (GB), Mundi (Ire), Spoken Truth (Ire). Scratched: Formal Display (GB).
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