Best On Breeding

Mark Smith - Thursday October 19

Hampered by injury, illness, and not being the most fertile of stallions, Teofilo (IRE) left six Australian crops ranging from as low as forty-two to a high of sixty-nine.

Despite averaging just 55 live foals per crop, the son of Galileo left an incredible legacy through the likes of Humidor, Happy Clapper, Palentino, Kermadec, and Sonntag.

Two of Teofilo's twenty-three Group 1 winners, Cross Counter (IRE) and Twilight Payment (IRE) earned their Group 1s in the Melbourne Cup.

Teofilo has two of the top chances in Saturday's $5,000,000 Group 1 Carlton Draught Caulfield Cup, Without A Fight and West Wind Blows, while the hope of the locals, Montefilia, is a 4-time Group 1 winning daughter of Teofilo's dual Group 1 winner Kermadec.

Without A Fight cruises to victory in the Q22 (image Grant Courtney)

Without A Fight is trained by Anthony and Sam Freedman after beginning life with Simon and Ed Crisford, trainers of West Wind Blows. He was left with the Freedmans after disappointing behind Gold Trip (FR) in the Melbourne Cup.

The Sheikh Mohammed Obaid homebred won his two starts in a winter campaign, the Group III Lord Mayors Cup (1800m) and Group II The Q22 (2200m), both at Eagle Farm.

He comes to the Caulfield Cup off just one lead-up, a close-up sixth behind Alligator Blood in the Group 1 Underwood Stakes (1800m) at Caulfield on September 23.

The 7-year-old gelding won three European stakes races, including the Group III John Smith's Silver Cup Stakes (14f) at York. He is the best of four winners from five to race for the Group III-winning Dubawi mare Khor Sheed, whose unraced daughter Sharja Princess (Invincible Spirit) is the dam of Grade II John C Mabee Stakes winner Avenue de France (Cityscape).

A half-sister to Group 1 Prix d'Ispahan winner Prince Kirk (Selkirk), Khor Sheed is a granddaughter of Group 1 winner Halo's Princess (Halo), a half-sister to the imported mare Curator (CAN).

Advertisement

A daughter of Assert (IRE), Curator left her mark as the dam of  Group 1 SAJC South Australian Oaks and Group 1 WATC Western Australian Derby winner Voile D'Or (Dieu d'Or); Group 1 STC Mercedes Classic (Tancred Stakes) winner Curata Storm (Dieu d'Or); and Listed Gosford Belle Of The Turf Stakes winner Imperatrix (Strategic), dam of the Listed Canberra Cup winner Court Connection.

Teofilo (image Mark Smith)

Curata Storm's win as a $101 chance in the Mercedes Classic is still a topic of conversation today.

Coming off a maiden win at Hawkesbury at his tenth start, Curata Storm left the likes of Tie The Knot, Hill Of Grace, Freemason, Kaapstad Way, Giovana, Sky Heights, Showella and Second Coming trailing in his wake at Rosehill.

Curata Storm failed to win another race in 20 starts.

Galileo's influence on the Caulfield Cup does not rest solely with Teofilo.

His champion son Frankel has two live chances in the Chris Waller-trained pair Francesco Guardi and Soulcombe, and Nathaniel has the underrated Spirit Ridge.

Galileo himself has the unheralded Joseph O'Brien-trained Okita Soushi and one of O'Brien's former protegees, the first emergency United Nations. 

Galileo (image Mark Smith)

Advertisment
More Reading...
Unbeaten So You Think 3YO Wins Raconteur Stakes
The So You Think's are absolutely flying with no less than 33 winners in the past 30 days highlighted by his daughter You Wahng’s emphatic victory in the G1 Queensland Oaks and now another exciting three year old has appeared!
War Machine Wins $3million G1 Stradbroke for Lindsay Park
With Lindsay Park's much loved stable star Mr Brightside set to turn eight this year, the time is ripe for a new star to emerge for the stable and it looks like being another Kiwi bred in the shape of Harry Angel (IRE) gelding War Machine.    
Sires With Winners - Saturday June 14
Here is the full list of 104 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Consecutive Winter Cup Wins For Sir Lucan (IRE)
Although it’s been a while between wins for Camelot stayer Sir Lucan (IRE), the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott trained 7yo returned to the scene of his most recent success some 12 months prior to the day, recording consecutive victories in the $200,000 Listed ATC Winter Cup (2400m) at Rosehill.
Darby Win G2 Brisbane Cup with Kiwi Bred Campaldino
The Gr.1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) looms as a possible spring target for New Zealand-bred stayer Campaldino, who continued his rapid rise with another outstanding win in the A$400,000 Gr.2 XXXX Brisbane Cup (3200m) at Eagle Farm on Saturday.
Group 1 JJ Atkins To Cool Aza Beel’s Cool Archie
Recording a thoroughly deserving elite level victory off the back of his sensational form this time in, Chris and Corey Munce’s 2yo Cool Aza Beel colt Cool Archie took his campaign to five straight wins, capturing the Group 1 JJ Atkins (1600m) in style.
2023 Queensland Derby Hero Kovalica Triumphs in Q22 Thriller
Kovalica made a welcome return to winning form when he prevailed in a pulsating three-horse finish to the A$1.2 million Gr.2 HKJC World Pool Q22 (2200m) at Eagle Farm on Saturday.
First Stakes Success for Invincible Sprinter
I Am Invincible added a new stakes-winner to his tally at Eagle Farm on Saturday when the Gooree Stud bred gelding Compelling Truth landed the $!60,000 Listed BRC Hinkler Handicap (1200m).
G1 Tiara Next for Flying Zoustar Mare Floozie
Bred and raced initially by Dorrington Farm’s Robert Crabtree, Zoustar mare Floozie changed hands last year and runs now for Yarraman Park, who sent her to Queensland to be trained by Tony Gollan and that decision is reaping impressive rewards.
Kiwi Bred Pier Earns Stradbroke Consolation Stakes Victory
A runaway victory in Saturday’s A$160,000 Listed The Wayne Wilson (1600m) at Eagle Farm was a proud moment for Pier’s connections, but they could also be forgiven for wondering what might have been in the Gr.1 Stradbroke Handicap (1400m).