Galileo (Ire)

Racing Victoria will not compromise on the welfare of horses for the G1 Melbourne Cup after there was plenty of publicity about the scratching of Jan Brueghel (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), they announced on Wednesday. "I don't think the reaction's necessarily surprising," EGM - Integrity Jamie Stier told racing.com. "When the protocols were implemented, it was understood that not everyone was in agreement and was made known that they were not in agreement. And that is as it is, but the protocols were put in place to mitigate any risks that...

DEL MAR, USA -- October 2001 was a sobering time to be in New York. Some seven weeks on from the devastating attack on the World Trade Center, the city was shrouded in sadness and America was a nation united in grief for the thousands who lost their lives on 9/11. Horseracing, often referred to as the great triviality, doesn't usually feel like that to those who work in the sport, but it did feel trivial, almost intrusive, to be at Belmont that year for what was a first visit...

Two weeks on from completing a facsimile of his banner 2022 season by notching a second victory in ParisLongchamp's G1 Prix du Cadran, Europe's dominant stayer Kyprios (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}--Polished Gem {Ire}, by Danehill) added lustre to a perfect 2024 campaign with a decisive success in Saturday's G2 Qipco British Champions Long Distance Cup at Ascot. Ballydoyle's star went postward as the 8-11 favourite to gain compensation for a neck defeat in this two-mile contest last year and stalked pacesetting stablemate The Euphrates (GB) (Frankel {GB}) until turning for home....

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-bred horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Monday's Observations features a half-brother to G1 St Leger hero Eldar Eldrov (GB). 5.45 Kempton, Novice, £7,000, 2yo, 8f (AWT) NAVAL COMMAND (GB) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) is another key member of Godolphin's Charlie Appleby stable as a half-brother to the G1 St Leger hero Eldar Eldarov (GB) (Dubawi...

Coolmore and Westerberg's G3 Stanerra Stakes victrix Grateful (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}--Tepin, by Bernstein), who hit the board in last month's G2 Park Hill Stakes at Doncaster, made the necessary transition under an inspired ride from Christophe Soumillon to secure a career high in Saturday's G1 Qatar Prix de Royallieu at ParisLongchamp. She became the fourth winner on the card for a dominant Aidan O'Brien. Employing patiently tactics and settled off the tempo for most of this 14-furlong marathon, the 207-10 chance made relentless headway out wide in the straight to...

Ballydoyle's star stayer Kyprios (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}--Polished Gem {Ire}, by Danehill) went unbeaten through six contests in 2022 and completed an exact replica of that campaign with a pillar-to-post triumph in Saturday's G1 Qatar Prix du Cadran at ParisLongchamp. That 2022 season included an extravagant win in this marathon event, but it was a more straightforward affair this time around. The 1-5 favourite, fresh off a second success in the G1 Irish St Leger, went straight to the front and sent an even tempo for the most part. Gearing up...

Coolmore's G1 St Leger runner-up Illinois (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}--Danedrop {Ire}), by Danehill), winner of Royal Ascot's G2 Queen's Vase back in June, fired the opening salvo of ParisLongchamp's Arc weekend and delivered a battling performance to prevail in the 15-furlong G2 Qatar Prix Chaudenay. The 2-5 favourite, who had also placed in the G1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud and G1 Grand Prix de Paris, went straight to the lead and held sway until turning for home. Under pressure when headed briefly by Trafalgar Square (Fr) (Kendargent {Fr}) with 300 metres remaining,...

It's that time of year where most of the stories in the bloodstock world are being written in the sales ring, with the ink used to tell the tale of Book 1 of the Goffs Orby Sale still fresh on the page and the major plotlines ahead of next week's Tattersalls October Yearling Sale already starting to take shape. But as the search continues for the Classic winners of 2026, it's worth also reminding ourselves of the many stories still waiting to be written on the racecourse in the closing...

At €65,000, St Mark's Basilica (Fr) was the most expensive horse to retire to stud in 2022, with a racetrack performance and pedigree that justified the fee. After all, he was the world-champion three-year-old, European champion two-year-old and Cartier Horse of the Year, with a race record that included five straight Group 1 wins, from the Dewhurst at two straight through to the Irish Champion Stakes the following autumn. By Siyouni (Fr) out of the Galileo (Ire) Group-winning mare Cabaret (Ire), he is a half-brother to the Classic winner Magna...

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. Wednesday's Observations features one of the last colts by Galileo (Ire) still to race. 14.45 Redcar, Novice, £20,000, 2yo, 7fT LAST GALILEO (IRE) (Galileo {Ire}) is, as his name suggests, one of the limited final crop by Coolmore's late great monarch and he debuts for an expectant Yuesheng Zhang...

Aidan O'Brien is always on edge when Kyprios (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}--Polished Gem {Ire}, by Danehill) is at the races, but the mighty stayer proved yet again that there is no real cause for concern with a typically straightforward success in Sunday's G1 Irish St Leger at The Curragh. Back in peak form as he had been when first capturing this in 2022, the Moyglare homebred and colour-bearer was the 2-5 favourite to erase the memory of his runner-up placing 12 months ago when not fully recharged following his major injury....

In an outstanding renewal of Doncaster's G1 St Leger on Saturday, it was the much-missed colossus Galileo (Ire) who had his inimitable stamp on proceedings with his sons Jan Brueghel (Ire) and Illinois (Ire) waging war in a clear demonstration of one of the most common characteristics of his breed. While the eventual winner Jan Brueghel had yet to go into the red zone in a career that only commenced in May, the son of Devoted To You (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}) who had already provided a Classic winner in...