You'resothrilling

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. Today's Observations features the latest progeny out of one of Coolmore's bluest-blooded mares. 12.40 Curragh, Mdn, €16,500, 2yo, f, 7fT TOY (IRE) (Galileo {Ire}) is the eighth foal out of the remarkable G2 Cherry Hinton S. winner You'resothrilling (Storm Cat), which makes her a full-sister to the G1 English...

Two weeks removed from his death at age 23, Galileo (Ire)'s influence was keenly felt in Europe's feature races this weekend. At Ascot, Adayar (GB)-by Galileo's greatest son Frankel (GB)-became the first horse to do the Derby/King George double since Galileo himself accomplished the feat 20 years ago. On the same card, Godolphin's €260,000 Arqana Select purchase New Science (GB) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) stamped himself a 2-year-old to watch with victory in the Listed Pat Eddery S. He is out of a Galileo mare. Up North at York, horses...

Is the Derby picture clearer or murkier after the last week? We probably can't say for sure until after Thursday's Dante S., which may or may not feature Ballydoyle's erstwhile favoured one High Definition (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). At the moment, of those currently at 20/1 or shorter in the betting, there's certainly the potential for there to be a good story attached to the winner and, let's face it, the great old race in its first year of Cazoo sponsorship, certainly could do with that. Who wouldn't love to see...

Making all in Sunday's G3 Irish 1,000 Guineas Trial over a mile at Leopardstown, Ballydoyle's Joan of Arc (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) was in the process becoming a sixth pattern-race winner from seven foals for Coolmore's remarkable You'resothrilling (Storm Cat). Last seen finishing sixth in the seven-furlong G3 Ballylinch Stud 1,000 Guineas Trial at this track Apr. 11, the full-sister to Gleneagles (Ire) set an honest tempo under Ryan Moore and stayed on strongly to deny Flirting Bridge (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) by 1 3/4 lengths on a day when racing prominently...

Racing success makes the name of a horse just right in most cases, and this is likely to happen with very promising 3-year-old filly JOAN OF ARC, a winner at The Curragh Mar. 21, the first day of spring. Still, this beautiful name seems so appropriate even now, because of the underlying historical connection between the French heroine Joan of Arc and the great scientist Galileo Galilei. In fact, both Joan of Arc and Galileo got in trouble with the Inquisition--to put it mildly. It was, and it was not,...

There's been almost no getting away from You'resothrilling (Storm Cat) when it comes to the Irish Guineas in recent years. The sister to Giant's Causeway has conducted an exclusive relationship with Galileo (Ire) since departing to stud and their first foal, Marvellous (Ire), won the Irish 1000 Guineas, swiftly followed by her year-younger brother Gleneagles (Ire), who took the Irish 2000 Guineas as the middle leg of a Group 1 treble at three. Taj Mahal (Ire) broke the mould by heading instead to the Prix du Jockey Club, in which...