Galileo gets five maiden winners in glorious week at Galway

One of the most astonishing feats at Galway this week can be attributed to Coolmore's perennial champion stallion Galileo, who has sired five maiden winners over the course of the seven-day festival at Ballybrit.

The run of success was capped by a double on Saturday, with Emperor Of The Sun leading home a one-two for the sire in the Shearwater Hotel & Spa Irish EBF Maiden for juveniles.

The winner, who boasts a Derby entry, is a half-brother to Zoustar, among the most exciting young sires in Australia, where he sired the first three home led by his daughter Sunlight in the Group 1 Coolmore Stud Stakes last November.

The son of Northern Meteor shuttled to Tweenhills Stud for the first time this year, when he commanded a £25,000 fee.

Second to Emperor Of The Sun was Delta Dawn, a grandson of the exceptional producer Beauty Is Truth, a Pivotal mare responsible for three Group 1 winners by Galileo in Hermosa, Hydrangea and The United States.

Completing the double 30 minutes later was Lancaster House, a three-year-old colt bred by Barronstown Stud out of Quiet Oasis, a US Grade 2 winner descending from New Approach's dam Park Express.

Emperor Of The Sun's success followed on from the juvenile wins earlier this week of Innisfree and Petite Mustique, a full-sister to elite winner and Melbourne Cup runner-up Johannes Vermeer and Group 2 winner Elizabeth Browning.

Petite Mustique - whose maiden was won last year by subsequent dual Guineas winner Hermosa - was purchased for €1.1 million by agent Hugo Lascelles at the 2017 Goffs November Foal Sale.

Last but not least is Invitation, a three-year-old filly from the family of Novellist who won her maiden by four and a half lengths on Friday.

All five winners were trained by Aidan O'Brien, ridden by Donnacha O'Brien and owned by the Coolmore partners, with the trainer's wife Annemarie retaining a share in Innisfree, a colt bred by her and her husband's Whisperview Trading.

Nine maiden contests are held over the course of the Galway festival, with only one remaining on Sunday in which Galileo is not represented.

Of the other three maidens, Buildmeupbuttercup won the qualified riders' maiden on Wednesday, with the winner by Galileo's son Sixties Icon, who led home a trifecta for the sire in the 2006 St Leger at York.

The success of Galileo's progeny was not confined to Galway this week, with Nayef Road leading home a one-two for the sire from Constantinople in the Group 3 Gordon Stakes at Glorious Goodwood on Thursday.

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