Galileo edging ever closer To Eternity with 250th stakes winner

It seems as though barely a day goes by without Galileo passing another milestone, and Saturday was no different as To Eternity became the Coolmore supersire's 250th stakes winner with a dominant display in the Listed Chalice Stakes at Newmarket.

The fight for this year's champion sires' crown was effectively over long ago, with Galileo already out of sight of his nearest rivals with well over double the number of stakes winners and prize-money amassed by the likes of Dark Angel, Dubawi, Kodiac and Sea The Stars.

But if landing another sires' title will be nothing new to the 19-year-old - this year's will be Galileo's ninth, the success of To Eternity, a sister to Group 3 winner Shantaram, Forever Now and Gan Amhras, did edge him a step closer to significant new territory.

It now looks an inevitability that the son of Sadler's Wells will surpass the totals set by his own breed-shaping sire, whose tally of 294 stakes winners and 168 Group winners are coming under increasing threat.

With 250 stakes winners to his name it may be that we have to wait at least one more season for Galileo to surpass Sadler's Wells' score in that division, but with 162 Group winners on the board, 2017 could be the year that Galileo finally begins to overhaul his own late, great sire.

And as the search goes on for that next Group winner, the likes of To Eternity, who overcame a long absence to win by a widening six lengths, and Saturday's runaway Galway maiden winner Amedeo Modigliani, are going to prove most welcome additions to his roll of honour.

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