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...
Shamus Award Mare Quintessa Shooting for Another G1
Te Akau has been forced to take an unconventional path to Ellerslie with Quintessa and are confident the high-class mare will strip in the best possible order, given the circumstances.
2025 Nolan Scholarship awarded to Mackenzie Porter
Thoroughbred Breeders Australia (TBA) is delighted to announce that the 2025 Nolan Scholarship has been awarded to TBA Fast Track graduate Mackenzie Porter.  
Black Type Next for Exciting Hello Youmzain Filly
Kelly Van Dyk’s Prima Park Bloodstock will be represented on both sides of the Tasman this week, from the sales ring in Sydney to the big stage at Ellerslie on Saturday.
One to Watch – Warwick Farm
There was a heavily backed favourite in the $100,000 3YO Super Maiden (1200m) at Warwick Farm on Wednesday and while punters were tearing up their tickets with a furlong to run, something miraculous happened in the last 50m.
New Vendors Step into NZB Ready to Run Sale Spotlight
The horsemen and women who prepare two-year-olds for the NZB Ready to Run Sale at Karaka every November are internationally renowned as some of the very best in the world at what they do, and a new generation will join them next month as first-time vendors.
900,000 Guineas Starspangledbanner Filly Tops Second Day of Book 2
Australian bred Starspangledbanner is riding high this year siring 12 stakes-winners in 2025 headed by his dual Group I winning filly Precise and he produced the top lot during the second session of Book 2 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale with Islanmore Stud’s stunning chestnut filly fetching 900,000 guineas to become the second highest priced filly in the sale’s history.
2025 G1 Caulfield Cup Field and Barrier Draw
Race favourite Half Yours has drawn an ideal gate two for the Group One Caulfield Cup to be run at Caulfield on Saturday with Japanese visitor Golden Snap drawing the outside.
Stunning Frankel Stallion Diego Velasquez Retired to National Stud
A memorable winner of the 2025 Group I Prix Jacques le Marois, flashy Frankel stallion Diego Velasquez has been retired and will take up stud duties at the National Stud in 2026.
$1.35m Easter Purchase Chicama Wins Warwick Farm Opener
A half-brother to Champion 3YO Filly Shoals (Fastnet Rock), Written Tycoon colt Chicama appreciated not only the step up to 1400m for the first time to break his maiden, but a change to the Joe Pride yard appears to have also done the trick.
Melbourne Cup Dream Hangs in Balance for Sharp 'n' Smart
Sharp ‘N’ Smart’s Gr.1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) campaign hangs in the balance, with his performance in Saturday’s Gr.1 Livamol Classic (2040m) at Ellerslie dictating whether he continues on that path.