For the eighth time that in his wonderful career, Galileo supplied the first three home in a Group 1, but that was not the end of his domination of the opening day of Irish Champions Weekend at Leopardstown on Saturday.
Galileo (image Mark Smith ) clicks with mares from just about every sireline but he has a particular affinity with mares by his old barn mate Danehill.
We will work our way through the six stakes races on the card at Leopardstown beginning with the Listed Ballylinch Stud Irish EBF Ingabelle Stakes (7f) for two-year-old fillies, which was narrowly won by the Aidan O'Brien-trained Blissful (Galileo - Massarra (Danehill)).
Next came the Group II KPMG Champions Juvenile Stakes (1m) for two-year olds won by Ballydoyle's 3.4 million guineas purchase Mogul (Galileo - Shastye (Danehill)) a brother to recent Group 1 winner Japan.
The three-year-olds dominated the finish of the Group III Paddy Power Betting Shop Stakes with the Aidan O'Brien-trained Norway (Galileo - Love Me True (Kingmambo) getting the better of the Lloyd Williams-owned Buckhurst (Australia).
The day's feature, the Group 1 QIPCO Irish Champion Stakes fell to the wonderfully consistent 4yo mare Magical (Galileo - Halfway To Heaven(IRE) (Pivotal)) defeating another 4yo mare Magic Wand Galileo – Prudenzia (Dansili) ) with the Epsom Derby winner Anthony Van Dyck (Galileo - Believe'N'Succeed (Exceed And Excel)) in third.
Galileo didn't sire the winner of the Group II Clipper Logistics Boomerang Stakes won by the Bated Breath 3yo Space Traveller but his dam is by Galileo.
The Group 1 Coolmore "Fastnet Rock" Matron Stakes for fillies and mares went the way of the Joseph O'Brien-trained I ridessa (Ruler Of The World - Senta's Dream (Danehill)) defeating Hermosa ( Galileo - Beauty Is Truth (Pivotal) ). Ruler Of The World is of course an Epsom Derby winning son of Galileo and is a brother to Norway.
