Seventh Heaven delivers yet another Classic for Galileo

Seventh Heaven became the 59th individual Group/Grade 1 winner for Coolmore's flagship stallion Galileo when running away with the Irish Oaks at the Curragh on Saturday for Aidan O'Brien, Seamie Heffernan and the Coolmore partners.

The three-year-old filly had won the Lingfield Oaks Trial earlier in the season, but having had no luck in running in the main event at Epsom she came home a well-held sixth.

However, she got the rub of the green on this occasion and bounced back to form in no uncertain terms to beat the Zoffany filly Architecture, who had also filled the runner-up berth at Epsom, by two and three-quarter lengths.

The Aidan O'Brien-trained filly is the fifth foal out of the Johannesburg mare La Traviata, a 6f Grade 3 winner in the US for trainer Patrick L Biancone and Coolmore.

Galileo is clearly responsible for Seventh Heaven's stamina reserves, as her most talented half-brothers both plied their trade over much shorter distances.

First there was Crusade, a son of Mr Greeley who O'Brien trained to score in the 2011 Group 1 Middle Park Stakes, beating Lilbourne Lad by three-quarters of a length.

Second came Cristoforo Colombo, a son of Henrythenavigator who finished fourth in the following season's Middle Park, beaten two and a quarter lengths by Reckless Abandon, and who also recorded two minor 6f successes from his 11 career starts.

La Traviata also has a two-year-old daughter, a sister to Seventh Heaven named Kiss Me Not.

The juvenile filly may hold an entry in the Group 1 Moyglare Stud Stakes later in the season, but she will need to leave her debut form well behind if she is to take up that engagement, having finished last of five in a Tipperary maiden in late June.

Saturday's success also provided the all-conquering Galileo with his second Irish Oaks winner, after the John Gosden-trained Great Heavens struck in the 2012 renewal.