Aidan P O'Brien 1993 - 2016

Flat Group Records (G1) 261 (G2) 95(G3) 216 (T) 572

Jumps Group Records (G1) 22 (G2) 20 (G3) 24 (T) 66

Career Group Records (G1) 283 (G2) 115 (G3) 240 (T) 638

  A.P.O'Brien Major Race Wins 2016  

 Group One    12 

Minding 1000 Guineas

The Gurkha French 2000 Guineas

Minding Epsom Oaks 

Order Of St George Ascot gold Cup 

Minding Pretty Polly Stakes

Alice Springs Falmouth Stakes 

Deauville Belmont Derby

Seventh Heaven Irish Oaks 

Highland Reel King George 

The Gurkha Sussex Stakes 

Minding Nassau Stakes 

Caravaggio Phoenix Stakes

Highland Reel snippet by Red full story in news section

Continuing success of Galileo as a broodmare sire

Galileo continues his success as a broodmare sire yesterday when Near England (Lord of England) by Near Galante wins the Group 3 Nutan-Rennen at Hamburg for 3 year old fillies over 1m 3f by a length from Son Macia staying on well.

In the past few months his daughters have been responsible for the Classic winners of some of Europe’s top races, among them are Galileo Gold (Paco Boy) by Galicuix winner of the Group 1 English 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket in April he followed it up with a second place in the Irish 2,000 Guineas in May. He has since gone on to win the Group 1 St. James’ Palace stakes at Royal Ascot in June.
 
La Cressonniere (Le Harve) by Absolute Lady won the Poule D’essai Des Pouliches (French 1,000 Guineas) in May followed up by her win in the Prix De Diane (French Oaks) in June  where she made it 5 out of 5 starts.

From Father to Son

When Galileo was inducted into the ITBA Hall of Fame earlier this year, it was just another accolade bestowed on a horse of a lifetime.

There were accolades from the start. Galileo was given every chance in life, a son of Coolmore’s peerless stallion Sadler’s Wells (the only other horse to be inducted into the ITBA Hall of Fame) out of David Tsui’s Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe winner Urban Sea, who would become one of the most prolific broodmares of the modern era. Add to that the fact that he was trained during his racing career by Aidan O’Brien, and that he was ridden in all but one of his races by Michael Kinane, and it would have been surprising if Galileo had not been successful.  

But this successful? As successful as he was? As successful as he is?  Even with all that in his favour, you could still only have dreamed.  

Galileo didn’t make his racecourse debut until October of his juvenile year, a bout of coughing keeping him off the track until then. Of course, his reputation had preceded him, so when he walked into the parade ring at Leopardstown on that winter’s day at the end of October in 2000, the bookmakers chalked him up at 2-5.

But confidence ebbed.  The ground was heavy and the opposition packed promise. All the top Irish yards were represented. By the time the stalls opened, you could have backed the Aidan O’Brien-trained colt at even money.

But those who did never had a moment’s worry. Galileo eased his way through the ground under Kinane, hit the front well outside the furlong pole and coasted to a bloodless victory, 14 lengths clear of his closest pursuer.

Then the dreaming started in earnest.

Galileo was not prepared for the Guineas as a 3-year-old, Aidan O’Brien preferring instead to tread the Derby path that Sinndar had trod the previous year: Ballysax Stakes, Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial, Epsom Derby. He duly danced in in the Ballysax, then stayed on strongly to land the Derrinstown.  

That was the only occasion on which Kinane did not ride Galileo. The champion jockey was on duty in France, busy riding Rose Gypsy to victory in the French 1,000 Guineas. So Seamie Heffernan deputised on Galileo at Leopardstown, and gave him a copybook ride.