Blast From The Past: 2001 Derby

Galileo sired his latest couple of classic winners last weekend when Churchill and Winter followed up their respective Guineas wins at Newmarket in the Irish equivalents – for good measure he was also sire of Decorated Knight, winner of the other Group 1 at the Curragh, the Tattersalls Gold Cup. This Saturday, Galileo has no fewer than five chances (all of them trained by Aidan O’Brien, including leading fancy Cliffs of Moher) of claiming his fourth Derby winner after the successes of New Approach, Ruler of The World and Australia in the last ten years. Galileo is also the grandsire of another four runners in Saturday’s race, including other leading contenders Permian, Cracksman and Eminent  (the last two by his best son Frankel) and he’s also sire of the dam of another runner Salouen.

This year’s Derby, in particular, might end up owing plenty to Galileo, but Galileo owes plenty to the Derby too as it was largely thanks to his victory in the race in 2001 that he secured a place at stud at Coolmore where he has since gone on to surpass many of the achievements of his own outstanding sire Sadler’s Wells.

Galileo – a first Derby winner for Sadler’s Wells as well as for his trainer (O’Brien is seeking a sixth win in the race on Saturday) – proved an above-average winner of the premier classic. His Timeform annual rating of 134 has been bettered since among Derby winners only by his own half-brother Sea The Stars (140) in 2009, though even he didn’t produce the same level of performance at Epsom.

Beforehand, however, the 2001 Derby looked a fairly open affair and Galileo, winner of all three of his starts at Leopardstown, including the Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial, shared favouritism at 11/4 with the 2000 Guineas winner Golan. Also prominent in the betting in a field of twelve were the Lingfield Derby Trial winner Perfect Sunday, the Dante Stakes winner Dilshaan and the previous season’s Dewhurst winner Tobougg.

Racehorses takes up the story of the race with Galileo perfectly poised just behind the leaders rounding Tattenham Corner:

‘His rider Michael Kinane followed to the letter his pre-race plan to ‘let Galileo use himself, as he should stay’. As soon as he was fully opened out in the straight, Galileo – impressing with his extravagant stride – produced a devastating burst which took him to the front with over two furlongs still to go. Storming clear, he was never in the slightest danger afterwards and passed the post, his rider easing up, three and a half lengths ahead of Golan for the most impressive Derby victory since Generous recorded his five-length success in 1991 in similar style. Tobougg finished third, a neck behind Golan…’

At the time, Galileo’s Derby was the second-fastest in the history of the race, though his time has since been beaten by Workforce and Golden Horn. Galileo went on to win the Irish Derby by four lengths and then emulated other dual Derby winners Nijinsky, Grundy, The Minstrel, Troy, Shergar and Generous by beating older horses in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes. A mile and a half was Galileo’s optimum trip, and he lost his unbeaten record to the King George runner-up Fantastic Light when taking him on again in the Irish Champion Stakes over a mile and a quarter. On his final start Galileo finished sixth on dirt in the Breeders’ Cup Classic.

Nowadays, success for Galileo and Aidan O’Brien goes in hand-in-hand for the most part, something perhaps best demonstrated by the result of last year’s Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe in which Found, Highland Reel and Order of St George provided a one-two-three for both sire and trainer.