The $750,000 Group I The Metropolitan (2400m) has been underpinning the Irish economy in recent years and nothing changed on Saturday as Galileo's eight-year-old son Foundry (IRE) gave Melbourne-based jockey Michael Dee a first Group I feature.
Glencadam Gold (IRE) started the ball rolling for the Irish
Then followed Oasis Dream gelding Opinion in 2014, Hurricane Run's Magic Hurricane (IRE) in 2015 and Sir Percy's Sir John Hawkwood (IRE) last year.
Owned by Lloyd Williams and trained by Robert Hickmott at Macedon Lodge, Foundry was making his third run back after nearly a year off the scene.
He hit the line full of running to defeat the Darren Weir-trained Big Duke (Raven's Pass) by half a length. Stephen Marsh's Chocante (Shocking) one and
"I'm speechless, I've never ridden a winner at this track, I've been up here a few times now. To win a Group One, I just couldn't be happier," Dee said.
"To Lloyd Williams and the team at Macedon Lodge, thank you very much for having me on.
"The horse is a beauty, he's just lovely to ride, they brought him here in tip-top shape and he ran accordingly.
"He jumped really well and got there quite easily, I didn't have to use up much gas early."
"I got pushed out three-wide on the bend, but luckily I was able to come back and land in the one-one.
"From then on he travelled beautifully throughout, the team said once he got to the 800m to make it a true staying test so I let him stride and to the horse's credit, he toughed it right out."
Foundry (IRE) is a brother to Housesofparliament the winner of the Group III Bahrain Trophy at Newmarket and third in the Group I St Ledger.
His dam Sharp Lisa (Dixieland Band) won the Grade I Santa Anita Las Virgenes Stakes and is a half-sister to Grade I Donn Handicap winner Spring At Last (Silver Deputy).
Foundry becomes the 259th stakes winner and 69th Group I winner for Coolmore Stud's perennial champion Galileo.
