Four year-old Galileo stallion Circus Maximus became a two time Royal Ascot winner overnight adding the Group I Queen Anne Stakes (1m) to his resume after winning the Group I St James’s Palace Stakes (1m) last year.
Trained by Aidan O’Brien and ridden by Ryan Moore, Circus Maximus was having his first run this year after finishing 2019 with a fourth in the Group I Breeders Cup Mile Turf at Santa Anita. He was tenacious in scoring a head win over Godolphin entry Terebellum (Sea the Stars).
“Circus Maximus s very tough and travels with a lot of speed. I think he's sometimes underestimated but he's very solid,” said Aidan O’Brien.
His best form is at a mile, which makes him more valuable and interesting. He loves getting eyeballed and toughs it out really well. He's a very good horse.”
Circus Maximus was bred by the Niarchos family under their Flaxman Stables Ireland banner, and they race him in partnership with Mrs John Magnier, Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith.
Circus Maximus has the overall record of five wins from 12 starts with three of those wins coming at Group I level.
He is the first and only foal from Group II winning Danehill Dancer mare Duntle, a two time Royal Ascot winner that died in 2017.
Circus Maximus is one of five Group I winners for Galileo bred from daughters of Danehill Dancer, the nick producing 22 stakes-winners in total from 87 runners. With 74.7% winners to runners and 25.2% stakes-winners to runners.
That’s a nick that could easily be put into practice for anyone considering using Coolmore’s Galileo shuttler Churchill (IRE) this year given his female pedigree is free of Danehill blood and we have a lot of Danehill Dancer line mares here.
Churchill stands at a fee of $19,250.
