Dee Stakes reveals another Derby candidate for Galileo

Another day, another Classic trial winner by Galileo for Aidan O'Brien.

After Douglas Macarthur led home stablemates and paternal half-brothers Yucatan and Capri in the Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial on Sunday and Venice Beach landed the Chester Vase on Thursday, Cliffs Of Moher stamped his Derby claims with a fluent victory in the Dee Stakes at Chester on Friday.

Cliffs Of Moher, who easily beat Orderofthegarter to win a Leopardstown maiden last October, was given a positive ride by Ryan Moore and took up the running inside the final furlong to repel Bay Of Poets (by Lope De Vega) by one and a half lengths, with Max Zorin (Cape Cross) in third.

Venice Beach had become Coolmore great Galileo's 400th stakes performer on Thursday, so Cliffs Of Moher is number 401. He is also the sire's 156th Group scorer.

Cliffs Of Moher was bred by a Coolmore syndicate and is the first foal out of the Dansili mare Wave, who won a Dundalk maiden over 5f.

The theme of Galileo being matched with fast mares has been the theme of the season, with the 2,000 Guineas and 1,000 Guineas winners Churchill and Winter, as well as impressive Jockey Club Stakes heroine Seventh Heaven all bred along those lines.

Wave is out of Irish 1,000 Guineas and Prix de Diane third Queen Cleopatra, who also produced Francis Of Assisi, a Group 3 winner in Australia over 1m4f, and Look At Me, winner of the Listed Navigation Stakes over a mile.

This is a thoroughly distinguished family, as Queen Cleopatra is a Kingmambo sister to four-time Group 1 winner Henrythenavigator and the siblings are out of Sequoyah, a daughter of Sadler's Wells who won the Moyglare Stud Stakes.

Galileo is, of course, by Sadler's Wells so Cliffs Of Moher is bred 2x4 to the late Coolmore legend. Such inbreeding is being seen more and more as his dynasty expands.

This week's Cheshire Oaks winner Enable (by Nathaniel) is bred 3x2 to Sadler's Wells and last month's Craven Stakes scorer Eminent (by Frankel) is bred 3x3 to him.