Galileo edges closer to immortality with record-equalling fourth 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 Derby at Epsom on Saturday.

Indeed, such are the phenomenal powers of Coolmore's perennial champion sire that that 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 equals the record of four Derby winners of Cyllene, Waxy, Sir Peter Teazle, Blandford and his former studmate Montjeu.

Galileo's four Derby winners – the three chestnuts New Approach, Ruler Of The World, Australia and now the bay Anthony Van Dyck – do not quite tell the whole story of the sire's domination of the race. He is also responsible for runners-up At First Sight, Cliffs Of Moher, Treasure Beach and US Army Ranger and third place finishers Astrology, Galileo Rock, Idaho and Saturday's bronze medallist Japan.

Galileo: now has 77 Group/Grade 1 winners to his nameCredit: Coolmore

Son 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.

Of course, as we heap praise on Galileo for his achievements in the Derby we must also honour the extraordinary influence of his dam Urban Sea, who 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 rulebook might as well be ripped up as this latest middle-distance superstar hails from a very 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 Group 3 Blue Diamond Prelude over five and a half furlongs herself.

The dam's first foal Bounding (by Lonhro) was a champion sprinter in New Zealand, where she won the Group 1 Railway Stakes over six furlongs. Bounding is now a member of the Stonestreet Farm broodmare band in Kentucky after being purchased for A$1.9 million at Magic Millions 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. Anthony Van Dyck gives a welcome tangential boost to connections who are standing Kuroshio 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 US-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 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.

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