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...
Gai and Adrian Secure $750,000 Justify Filly
Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott won the 2024 Magic Millions 2YO Classic with an exceptional colt by Justify (USA) in Storm Boy and they signed for a cracking filly by the same sire at Magic Millions on Tuesday.
$1,050,000 I Am Invincible Filly for Avantage
Nine time Group I winning Fastnet Rock mare Avantage was a champion on the racetrack and her progeny are proving highly desirable in the sale ring with her third foal, a lovely filly by I Am Invincible, selling for $1,050,000 at Magic Millions on Tuesday.
$1.2million Extreme Choice Colt Sold by The Chase
The second million dollar colt on the opening day of Magic Millions came late on Tuesday when the Extreme Choice colt from former brilliant I Am Invincible filly Dame Giselle sold for $1.2million.
$700,000 Home Affairs Filly for Dance Music
The second crop of yearlings by Home Affairs were always going to be in demand at Magic Millions off the back of his encouraging early winners and he made a splash on Tuesday during the first session with a filly from Dance Music fetching $700,000.
Likely Autumn Superstars Set to Trial on Thursday
Autumn Glow, Sir Delius, Via Sistina, Lady Shenandoah and Apocalyptic and more - Punters and racing fans can see a suite of Australia’s best horses live in action at Royal Randwick on Thursday as campaigns begin for many of the looming Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival’s biggest feature races.
$2Million Frankel Colt Highlights a Solid Start for MM 2026
A colt by champion international sire Frankel topped Day One of the 2026 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale on Tuesday when selling for $2 million
Hot Lots Day 2 - Magic Millions
With the opening day of selling at Magic Millions finished for the day, Frankel (GB) hit the heights, topping the sale with a $2m colt, while I Am Invincible took top honours on averages, 3 or more sold.
Stallion Syndicate Purchase $725,000 Too Darn Hot Colt
Too Darn Hot (GB) covered the best book of mares in the country last spring and his only yearling to be offered in the opening session of Magic Millions on Tuesday was duly snapped up by China Horse Club/Newgate & Partners for $725,000.
Sires With Winners - Tuesday January 13
Here is the full list of 16 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Torryburn Stud Sell $825,000 Zoustar Colt
Widden Stud’s reigning champion sire Zoustar had just one colt sell on the opening day of Magic Millions on Tuesday with Torryburn Stud well rewarded for the first living foal of Centimental that sold for $825,000.