200-1 shot Inspiratrice an unlikely success story for Galileo Gold

Inspiratrice’s 200-1 victory in the Alne Park Stud Juvenile Hurdle at Taunton on Friday was as much of a surprise to her trainer Nicky Martin as anyone else, given that the filly had barely beaten a horse home in her four previous starts.

Along with being among those joint-second on the list among the longest-priced winners recorded in Britain on Racing Post records, she has another distinction as being the first National Hunt winner to be sired by Galileo Gold.

The 2,000 Guineas winner, who moves from Tally-Ho to Haras de Bouquetot for 2023, has made a tidy enough start with his first couple of crops on the ground, which include Phoenix Stakes scorer Ebro River and the durable Oscula. Inspiratrice is one of just four of his progeny to have appeared in the jumps division, with none of them having made any impact at all prior to this.

Inspiratrice ran twice on the Flat for her breeders Ringfort Stud in Ireland, having been bought back for just £5,000 at Part 2 of the Tattersalls Ireland September Yearling Sale staged in Newmarket.

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Galileo Gold was a miler and the majority of his progeny have been running over shorter trips but, ignoring the fact that his daughter had been beaten out of sight in both of her other appearances for Martin, there are reasons to feel longer distances could have suited her.

Her sire is out of a Galileo mare and his page features Montjeu, father of Hurricane Fly along with countless Flat luminaries, under his fourth dam. Inspiratrice’s own dam, Telegraphy, was not a superstar but raced at up to two miles for Ed Dunlop.

Ringfort clearly bought her because she hails from one of Philip Freedman’s smart Cliveden families, being out of a half-sister to US Grade 2 winner Exchange Rate, later the sire of the likes of Reckless Abandon and Thundering Blue, as well as the Rose Of Lancaster Stakes winner Sabre D’Argent.

Inspiratrice’s half-brother Menin Gate (by Farhh), who once commanded 100,000gns at the sales, was reasonably competent in three starts over hurdles for Archie Watson and Brodie Hampson and would undoubtedly have been a much shorter price had he been in this kind of race.

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