Your pedigree guide to the Derby as Galileo goes for another major record

Galileo has already broken significant new ground this year, overtaking Danehill's record tally of individual Group/Grade 1 winners when daughter Peaceful became number 85 for him in the Irish 1,000 Guineas last month.

Coolmore's phenomenal sire now has a fair chance of beating a record that was first set in 1806 and has not been surpassed in the following two centuries.

He already has four Derby winners on his roll of honour – New Approach, Ruler Of The World, Australia and Anthony Van Dyck – to match the accomplishments of Sir Peter Teazle (born 1784), Waxy (1790), Cyllene (1895), Blandford (1919) and Montjeu (1996).

Galileo has five sons declared at Epsom on Saturday who could become that unprecedented fifth – the leading fancies Mogul, Russian Emperor and Vatican City plus outsiders Serpentine and Amhran Na Bhfiann.

Here we run the rule over the pedigrees of that quintet and the remaining 11 entries for this year's Derby.

Amhran Na Bhfiann
Galileo-Alluring Park (Green Desert)
Bred by Lodge Park Stud

Has no entitlement to win on form, having finished unplaced and fourth on his two starts, but does have Epsom Classic success in his blood.

Not only is he by Galileo, a Derby winner himself and a Derby sire par excellence, but he is also a brother to Oaks heroine Was out of Alluring Park, a daughter of Green Desert and the Burns family's brilliant Irish Champion Stakes winner Park Express and so a half-sister to Galileo's Derby-winning son New Approach.

Douglas Macarthur, another colt by Galileo out of Alluring Park, set a scorching pace in the 2017 Derby before weakening in the final furlong and it's not hard to envisage his brother Amhran Na Bhfiann doing similar but, with less talent demonstrated at the same point of his career, being overtaken at a much earlier point.

Emissary
Kingman-Soviet Moon (Sadler's Wells)
Bred by Juddmonte Farms Ltd

Soviet Moon could become the 13th mare to produce two winners of the Derby and the first since Galileo and Sea The Stars' exceptional dam Urban Sea, with her son Emissary looking to emulate his half-brother Workforce's victory at Epsom ten years ago.

Soviet Moon was unraced herself but hails from a strong middle-distance family, as a sister to St Leger victor Brian Boru and Great Voltigeur and Hardwicke Stakes winner Sea Moon.

The only concern with Emissary is he is by Kingman, an out-and-out miler by a sprinter in Invincible Spirit. The sire is clearly passing on abundant class to his offspring but he has not yet proven himself to be a source of top-class runners over 12 furlongs and further.

English King: by Derby winner CamelotCredit: Megan Ridgwell

English King
Camelot-Platonic (Zafonic)
Bred by Ecurie des Monceaux and Skymarc Farm

It's a big tick for this year's Derby favourite in the sire box, as Camelot is a Derby winner himself and from just two runners in Epsom Classics he has come up with narrowly beaten Oaks runner-up Pink Dogwood and Derby fifth Sir Dragonet, who was less than a length behind winner Anthony Van Dyck on the line.

There is plenty to like in the distaff pedigree, too. The dam Platonic was only a minor winner in France but she is a Zafonic half-sister to classy middle-distance performers Lion Sands and Pongee and her daughter Prudenzia has produced Irish Oaks heroine Chicquita and the doughty Magic Wand.

A little further back this is the family of Oaks winner Alexandrova, Melbourne Cup scorer Rekindling and Irish Derby second Golden Sword.

Gold Maze
Golden Horn-Astonishing (Galileo)
Bred by Apple Tree Stud

Sire Golden Horn and damsire Galileo both won the Derby and the pedigree is generally stamina packed.

Dam Astonishing was a seven-length winner of the Listed Princess Royal Stakes over 12 furlongs and she is a sister to Sub Rose, who took the Group 3 Prix Royaumont over the same distance by three lengths. Sub Rose is the dam of middle-distance Group winners Secret Advisor and Subway Dancer.

It's a shame Gold Maze didn't settle in the early stages of the Irish Derby last week and was thus unable to show off his staying power to full effect. He is worth giving more chances to, though it is hard to do so only one week after that effort.

Highland Chief
Gleneagles-Pink Symphony (Montjeu)
Bred by Fitri Hay

An intriguing pedigree that is the result of stamina-laden sires having been mated with speedy mares several times in the last few decades.

Highland Chief is from the first crop of Gleneagles, by Derby hero Galileo out of Cherry Hinton Stakes winner You'resothrilling and excelling somewhere in the middle of his parents as a top-class miler who was never asked to race over as far as 12 furlongs.

His granddam Blue Symphony was by Darshaan, a strong influence for stamina, out of the lightning quick Cheveley Park Stakes winner Blue Duster, and she won over ten furlongs.

She was mated with another sire who transmitted abundant staying power, Montjeu, to produce Highland Chief's dam Pink Symphony, a Group 3 winner over 12 furlongs.

On the balance of his pedigree and his victory over ten furlongs at Royal Ascot, Highland Chief should stay the Derby trip – although, then again, his debut victory over five furlongs in April at two was a head-scratcher.

Kameko: shares his sire with Derby third Roaring LionCredit: Edward Whitaker

Kameko
Kitten's Joy-Sweeter Still (Rock Of Gibraltar)
Bred by Calumet Farm

Sire Kitten's Joy was a Grade 1 winner over 12 furlongs in the US and although his best known representative in Europe, Roaring Lion, eventually made a mile to ten furlongs his specialism, he ran a cracker when third in the Derby.

Hawkbill was another Kitten's Joy son in Europe who stayed a mile and a half well, although others by the sire on this side of Atlantic, such as Bobby's Kitten and Taareef, were sprinters and milers.

Kameko is out of Sweeter Still, a Grade 3-winning miler in the US by the top miler Rock Of Gibraltar. The dam's half-brother Kingsbarns won the Racing Post Trophy and looked a shoo-in to run well in the Derby but missed the race due to injury, and when he returned he actually ran a decent third in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes over a mile.

Kameko's pedigree does not give the same cast-iron guarantee of staying 12 furlongs as is the case for some of his rivals, but there is definitely cause for hope.

Khalifa Sat
Free Eagle-Thermopylae (Tenby)
Bred by Declan Phelan and Irish National Stud

Hails from the first crop of Free Eagle, a son of Derby winner High Chaparral and half-brother to last season's Irish St Leger heroine Search For A Song who took the Prince of Wales's Stakes over ten furlongs but showed an extra two furlongs were within his compass when a staying-on sixth in the Arc.

Khalifa Sat is something of a collector's item these days as a maternal grandson of Tenby, who flopped when odds-on favourite behind stablemate Commander In Chief in the 1993 Derby.

He is a three-parts brother to Give Thanks Stakes winner and St Leger runner-up Unsung Heroine, the result of his dam Thermopylae visiting High Chaparral. Should stay well.

Max Vega
Lope De Vega-Paraphernalia (Dalakhani)
Bred by Tullpark

An impressive winner of the Zetland Stakes over ten furlongs at two, but has far from the most convincing claims of staying the Derby distance on pedigree.

His sire Lope De Vega won the Prix du Jockey Club over ten and a half furlongs, but most of his best progeny have excelled over shorter than a mile and a half – think Belardo, Phoenix Of Spain and The Right Man. Indeed, the Racing Post credits the stallion with an average progeny winning distance of 8.7 furlongs.

Max Vega's dam Paraphernalia was among the speedier offspring of Dalakhani, winning over seven furlongs and Listed-placed over a mile, and she is a half-sister to Phoenix Sprint Stakes winner Girouette. She has produced Camphor, Listed-placed over 12 furlongs, but that filly is by the much stouter influence Camelot.

Max Vega: question marks over the Lope De Vega colt's staminaCredit: Edward Whitaker

Mogul
Galileo-Shastye (Danehill)
Bred by Newsells Park Stud

Cost 3,400,000gns as a yearling due in large part to his outstanding pedigree.

His brother Japan was arguably the best colt in last year's Derby, running on to snatch a close third in a desperate finish, while sister Secret Gesture found only Talent too good in the Oaks.

The dam, Shastye, was Listed-placed over 12 furlongs and is a Danehill half-sister to Arc hero Sagamix.

Co-incidentally, Mogul is coming into the Derby on the back of a fourth-placed finish on his three-year-old bow, just as Japan did.

Mohican Heights
Australia-Mohican Princess (Shirley Heights)
Bred by Kevin Molloy

No, that isn't a printing error – Mohican Heights really is out of a mare by Shirley Heights. His dam Mohican Princess hails from the 1978 Derby winner's third-last crop and she was 21 when she delivered this colt, her 13th foal.

Mohican Heights, by dual Derby winner Australia, is a three-parts brother to classy stayer Eye Of The Storm and a half-brother to five other black-type performers, including Yorkshire Cup second Curbyourenthusiasm.

Mohican Heights was noted staying on into third in the King Edward VII Stakes over 12 furlongs and he may even need further than the Derby trip in future.

Mythical
Camelot-Inchmina (Cape Cross)
Bred by S A S Clear Light

Another by Camelot, he is a half-brother to Racing Post Trophy second Johann Strauss out of Inchmina, an unraced daughter of Cape Cross – sire of two Derby winners in Sea The Stars and Golden Horn and damsire of two more in Australia and Masar – and Ballymacoll Stakes scorer Incheni.

It's fair to say that Mythical does not have the most striking form claims, and other outsiders have more persuasive pedigrees.

Pyledriver: an oddity as a son of sprinter Harbour Watch in the DerbyCredit: Pool

Pyledriver
Harbour Watch-La Pyle (Le Havre)
Bred by Knox & Wells Ltd and Robert Devlin

A real oddity as he is by Harbour Watch, an unbeaten two-year-old sprinter by speed influence Acclamation who was a generally disappointing sire.

The clues to Pyledriver's class and stamina lie in his distaff pedigree. He is out of La Pyle, a daughter of Prix du Jockey Club winner Le Havre who won over ten-and-a-half to 11-and-a-half furlongs in France.

The dam is a sister to Park Express Stakes winner Normandel and a half-sister to Grand Prix de Paris victor Mont Ormel. Further back it is the strong Aga Khan Studs family of Linngari and Livadiya.

Russian Emperor
Galileo-Atlantic Jewel (Fastnet Rock)
Bred by Coolmore and partners

Has a remarkably similar pedigree profile to last year's Derby winner Anthony Van Dyck: both are sons of Galileo out of high-class Australian-bred mares by Danehill stallions.

In Russian Emperor's case he is out of Atlantic Jewel, a daughter of Fastnet Rock who won four Group 1s in Australia over seven to ten furlongs.

Further back it is the family of Cheveley Park Stakes-winning mother and daughter Pass The Peace and Embassy. A pleasing combination of stamina and speed.

Serpentine
Galileo-Remember When (Danehill Dancer)
Bred by Coolmore

By Derby winner Galileo and out of Oaks runner-up Remember When – herself a three-parts sister to narrowly beaten Derby third Dylan Thomas – so certainly bred for the job.

Serpentine is the only one of Remember When's first five runners in Europe (all by Galileo) to have not won a stakes race – yet.

Wedding Vow won the Kilboy Estate Stakes and was second in the Nassau; Beacon Rock took the Gallinule Stakes and was second in the King Edward VII Stakes; Bound landed the Trigo Stakes; and Bye Bye Baby won the Blue Wind Stakes and ran third in the Oaks.

It would be a leap of faith to back Serpentine to win the Derby on the back of a Curragh maiden victory, albeit one achieved by nine lengths, but his wonderful pedigree makes a speculative bet tempting.

Serpentine: by Derby winner Galileo out of Oaks second Remember WhenCredit: Patrick McCann

Vatican City
Galileo-You'resothrilling (Storm Cat)
Bred by Coolmore

The Irish 2,000 Guineas runner-up is already the sixth horse by Galileo out of You'resothrilling to gain a top-three finish at the highest level, and is now bidding to become the fourth of those to win a Group 1 race.

This is an outstanding pedigree, but the one question mark is the fact that those previous elite winners – Gleneagles, Happily and Marvellous – were best over a mile at three, suggesting the speedy dam is making her presence felt.

Still, as Anthony Van Dyck showed last year, a Galileo colt out of a speedy mare can win the Derby.

Worthily
Point Of Entry-Vignette (Diesis)
Bred by George Strawbridge

Out of George Strawbridge's marvellous broodmare Vignette, a smart sprinter in the US but one whose three best offspring are all middle-distance or staying stars – St Leger hero Lucarno, Great Voltigeur winner Thought Worthy and Long Distance Cup scorer Flying Officer.

That Pattern-winning trio are all by the late Dynaformer, so the decision to send Vignette to Dynaformer's son Point Of Entry, a multiple US Grade 1 winner on the turf over nine to 12 furlongs, was a natural one.

Only a Newbury maiden winner at present, Worthily's pedigree entitles him to be a lot better than that in time; the question is whether the Derby will come too soon in his young career.

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