Galileo Sires Fourth Epsom Derby Winner

"What can you say? He's a Galileo," were among jockey Seamie Heffernan's first words after he guided Anthony Van Dyck to victory in the Investec Derby (G1) at Epsom June 1.

Indeed, such are the phenomenal powers of Coolmore's perennial champion sire that the brief summary perfectly captures the essence of this year's renewal of the classic.

Galileo appeared as sire, grandsire, or great-grandsire of 12 of the 13 runners in this year's Derby and loomed in the distaff pedigree of the outlier, Sir Dragonet. By fielding the winner himself, he equaled the record of four Derby winners sired, joining Cyllene, Waxy, Sir Peter Teazle, Blandford, and former studmate Montjeu.

Galileo's four Derby winners—chestnuts New Approach, Ruler of The World, and Australia were the others—do not quite tell the whole story of the sire's domination of the race. He is also responsible for four runners-up—At First Sight, Cliffs of Moher, Treasure Beach , and US Army Ranger—and four third-place finishers: Astrology, Galileo Rock, Idaho, and Japan, Saturday's bronze medalist.

New Approach, meanwhile, supplied last year's Derby victor, Masar, and New Approach's son Dawn Approach is responsible for Saturday's gallant runner-up, Madhmoon.

Galileo's dam, Urban Sea, produced another Derby laureate in Sea The Stars, who has also sired the winner of the race in Harzand. This is truly the first family of Thoroughbred horse racing.

Anthony Van Dyck—who, incidentally, becomes his sire's 77th individual group/grade 1 winner; Danehill's record of 84 looking ever more vulnerable—serves to remind us that, when it comes to Galileo, the breeding rule book might as well be ripped up as this latest middle-distance superstar hails from a speedy distaff line.

Bred by Coolmore entity Orpendale, Chelston, and Wynatt, he is out of Believe'N'Succeed, an Australian-bred daughter of accomplished sprinter Exceed And Excel who won the Arrowfield Stud Blue Diamond Prelude (G3) over 5 1/2 furlongs herself.

The dam's first foal, Bounding (by Lonhro), was a champion sprinter in New Zealand, where she won the Sistema Railway Stakes (G1) over six furlongs. Bounding is now a member of the Stonestreet Farm broodmare band in Kentucky after being purchased for AU$1.9 million (US$1,374,080) at the Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale in 2016.

Believe'N'Succeed, later imported to Ireland by Coolmore as the sort of sharper mare the operation has targeted at complementing Galileo's stouter profile, is a sister to Kuroshio, a group 2 winner over the minimum trip and a promising young sire despite limited chances. Kuroshio gives a welcome tangential boost to connections who are standing him at Clongiffen Stud in County Meath this year.

Believe'N'Succeed produced a Galileo filly in January, her first offspring since Anthony Van Dyck, and promptly returned to the stallion. She was bred by Darley out of Arctic Drift, a U.S.-bred winning daughter of Gone West and November Snow, a dual grade 1 winner in the Alabama and Test stakes who also features as ancestress of Carter Handicap (G1) winner Morning Line.

There was speculation as to whether this pedigree had sufficient staying power to produce a Derby winner, but Galileo can readily compensate for any stamina shortcomings on the bottom half of a pedigree. More crucially to understanding his brilliance as a sire, he seems to imbue his progeny with other ineffable qualities such as sheer class, mental fortitude, and a will to win.

No wonder the stallion has proved an invaluable accomplice to Anthony Van Dyck's trainer, Aidan O'Brien, in his growing sovereignty over the British and Irish classics.

To paraphrase Heffernan, what more can you say? He's Galileo.