First stakes winner for Galileo Gold as Ebro River strikes at Sandown

The Hugo Palmer-trained and Al Shaqab-owned Ebro River ran out an impressive winner of the Listed National Stakes at Sandown on Thursday evening to give Tally-Ho Stud's first-season sire Galileo Gold his first stakes winner.

Ebro River was sixth on his debut at Newmarket before striking at Doncaster earlier this month. The January-born colt is the third foal out of the winning Belmont mare Soft Power, a half-sister to Girl Power, the dam of the top-class sprinter Slade Power.

Bred by Tally-Ho and a 75,000gns purchase by Charlie Gordon-Watson at Tattersalls Book 2 on behalf of Al Shaqab, the chestnut colt was on edge in the preliminaries at Sandown but came home strongly to deny the Havana Gold colt Little Earl by three and a quarter lengths.

He was given quotes of around 14-1 by bookmakers for the Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot next month.

The Newmarket-based Palmer trained Galileo Gold, a son of Paco Boy and the twice-raced Galileo mare Galicuix, to success in the Qipco 2,000 Guineas and St James's Palace Stakes.

Bred by Brian O'Rourke and initially raced in the Murfitt colours, Galileo Gold was a €33,000 purchase by Amanda Skiffington from Donnellys Well at the 2014 Tattersalls Ireland September Yearling Sale.

The eight-year-old, who has sired another winner in the George Boughey-trained Oscula, also won the Vintage Stakes at two and was second in the Irish 2,000 Guineas and Sussex Stakes behind Awtaad and The Gurkha.

He stands at Tally-Ho for a fee of €5,000 and has 110 first-crop two-year-olds to represent him this year.

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