Sheikh Mohammed Bin Khalifa benefiting from Galileo mares Igugu and Mahbooba

It is often said that Galileo under-achieved during his spell shuttling to Coolmore in Australia, and indeed he did fail to produce top-class horses with the consistency that has been the trademark of his stellar northern-hemisphere stallion career.

However, he did supply five Group 1 winners from his Australasian crops – daughters Igugu and Mahbooba and sons Linton, Niwot and Sousa.

Both Igugu and Mahbooba, born 2007, were trained by Mike de Kock to win at the highest level in South Africa for owner Sheikh Mohammed Bin Khalifa Al Maktoum and went on to show their talent on the international stage.

Igugu finished runner-up in the Rosemary Stakes at Newmarket and fifth in the Dubai Duty Free at Meydan and Mahbooba took the Listed Godolphin Stakes at Newmarket and ran second in the Cape Verdi and UAE Oaks at Meydan.

Igugu and Mahbooba have also done sterling service for Sheikh Mohammed Bin Khalifa at paddocks and have been in good form with their offspring in Britain in recent days.

Igugu's second foal and first runner El Misk, a three-year-old Dansili colt trained by John Gosden for the sheikh, was the fluent winner of a 1m2f novice stakes on debut at Newcastle on Monday.

That came two days after Mootasadir, a four-year-old colt by Dansili out of Mahbooba entrusted to Hugo Palmer by the sheikh, made it six wins from eight starts by taking the Listed Magnolia Stakes at Kempton.

Mahbooba's three-year-old son Dubai Warrior, also by Dansili, ranks as an exciting prospect for 2019 as the Gosden-trained Derby entry hosed up in a Chelmsford novice stakes in November on his only start to date.

Watch El Misk win on his debut at Newcastle

Mootasadir lands the Magnolia Stakes at Kempton

How Dubai Warrior scored on debut last November

El Misk, Mootasadir and Dubai Warrior look capable of adding further lustre to the already shining record of retired Banstead Manor Stud stallion Dansili, who has 21 Group/Grade 1 winners to his name.

Sadly, neither Igugu nor Mahbooba are still alive.

El Misk is the final foal out of Durban July and J&B Met heroine Igugu, who died in 2016, while Mahbooba produced an Invincible Spirit filly in 2017 and a Kingman filly last year before her death.

Igugu and Mahbooba were bred on a similar cross as the former is out of Zarinia, an unraced daughter of Intikhab, while the latter is out of Sogha, a winning daughter of Intikhab's sire Red Ransom.

Igugu hailed from the illustrious Aga Khan family that gave us Zarkava, as both have Petite Etoile's daughter Zahra as their fourth dam. Mahbooba was related to last year's Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint winner Shamrock Rose.

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