Breeding and early career
A feature of the past decade has been the phenomenal success of Aidan O'Brien who, after taking out his training licence in 1993, was invited to take over the helm at the mighty Ballydoyle training establishment in 1996- thus following in the footsteps of his legendary predecessor, Vincent O'Brien.
Vincent's achievements with the colossel bloodstock investment put in by Robert Sangster and John Magnier and their success in investing in the Northern Dancer blood-lines formed the Tipperary farm into the most powerful and famous training centre in the world.
The spectacular modern-day success of Ballydoyle and the towering Coolmore bloodstock empire has been founded by the most dominant and influential stallion of the past 20 years - Sadler's Wells. His genes and influence have laid monumental foundations within the sport of kings, making him the pre-eminent sire of the age.
For all of Sadler's Wells glittering success throughout the 90s, the big one, the Derby Stakes, had thus-far eluded him. Until Galileo came along, that is.
Foaled in 1998, Galileo made his racecourse debut towards the back-end of the 2000 season, appearing in a Leopardstown maiden on heavy ground. He hacked up by fourteen lengths.
Ballydoyle had a potential classic colt on their hands, an impeccably bred individual, by Northern Dancer's son Sadler's Wells, out of Urban Sea- a Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winner- who eight years later was to produce possibly the greatest horse of the current decade - Sea The Stars.
Galileo wins the Epsom Derby
The Derby Double
Galileo was given a Derby preparation in the Spring of 2001, winning both the Ballysax Stakes and the Derrinstown Derby Trial at Leopardstown, following the same route taken by Sinndar the previous year.
A field of 12 contested the Derby at Epsom that year, Galileo joined in the market as 11-4 joint favourite with Sir Michael Stoute's highly impressive Two Thousand Guineas winner, Golan, the mount of Pat Eddery. The Ballydoyle stable jockey, Mick Kinane, wore the dark blue jacket of John Magnier aboard the unbeaten Galileo.
Tobougg represented Sheikh Mohammed's Godolphin operation, while Barry Hills saddled no less than four runners, the Lingfield trial winner Perfect Sunday appearing his best hope. In addition to Golan, Stoute also had the smart looking Dante winner Dilshaan in the field.
Travelling beautifully throughout the race, Kinane gave his mount the perfect Epsom ride, and displaying a devastating turn of foot from two furlongs out Galileo stormed to an emphatic three and a half length triumph from Golan in the second fastest recorded time in the history of the blue riband.
Lammtarra, in 1995, holds the course record, but Galileo clocked an exceptional time of 2m 33.27sec, and seldom in the recent history of the Derby had there been a more impressive winner of the premier classic.
The Ballydoyle colt had won in a style reminiscent of Nashwan and Generous, to provide Sadler's Wells with his first Derby winning son.
Galileo's contemptuous dismissal of the Irish Derby field now had the superlatives flowing.
He cruised to a four length victory under Kinane at The Curragh, from the Italian Derby winner Morshdi, with Golan back in third.
He had joined the select group of great horses (Nijinsky, Grundy, The Minstel, Shirley Heights, Troy, Shergar, Shahrastani, Kahyasi, Generous, Commander In Chief and Sinndar) as an Anglo-Irish duel Derby winner, and next he would attempt to emulate six of those by going onto land the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes at Ascot.
Galileo completes the Anglo/Irish Derby Double
King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes
Waiting for him at Ascot was the outstanding older horse Fantastic Light, representing the other great bloodstock superpower, Godolphin.
Frankie Dettori's mount had looked hugely impressive when winning the Prince Of Wales's Stakes at the Royal meeting, and was a seasoned campaigner in the form of his career. It appeared a strong King George line-up, including European Derby winners Anabaa Blue and Morshdi, as well as a St Leger winner in Millenary.
On a sweltering day at Ascot, before a 38,410 record King George crowd, Galileo became the seventh horse to win the English-Irish Derby and the King George, following a memorable battle with Fantastic Light, clocking the third fastest time in the history of the race.
Galileo was receiving 12lb from Fantastic Light in the weight for age scale - at Leopardstown where they were to clash again, the difference was just 7 IB.
Following his King George triumph, he was lauded as the outstanding colt of his generation, the best racehorse in Europe, with a potential stallion value approaching a King's ransom.
His name was by now being mentioned within the same exalted breath as such giants as Sea Bird, Nijinsky, Mill Reef and Dancing Brave, and the commercial hype generated from a potential Coolmore stallion was enourmous.
Galileo was a balletic athlete, moved like a panther, and appeared just about the perfect racehorse.
Galileo's memorable victory in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes
QEII and the Irish Champion Stakes
His entry by connections in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes over a mile confirmed both the hype and the pure natural speed that this brilliant colt possessed, but his next appearence came back on home soil in the Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown, and a re-match with Fantastic Light.
It was a memorable and fascinating clash of the huge rivalry between the two great racing and breeding superpowers, Coolmore and Godolphin, which has enlivened flat racing for the past 10 years.
An epic duel in the Dublin sunshine ensured, as Fantastic Light under vintage Dettori in Godolphin's royal blue engaged in this titanic battle with the Ballydoyle champion, Kinane in the dark blue jacket of Coolmore.
Both horses had the services of their own pacemakers in Give The Slip and Ice Dancer, but on this occasion, Fantastic Light had the run of the race, getting the inside rail from the home turn into the short Leopardstown straight, and gaining first run on Galileo.
The dual Derby winner was forced to challenge wide, and despite Kinane throwing everything at him in a desperate struggle to the line, the younger horse could just not edge his head in front of the stronger older horse, and Fantastic Light defeated him by a head in one of the greatest races witnessed throughout the current decade.
Galileo's unforgettable clash with Fantastic Light in the 2001 Irish Champion Stakes
Legacy
Like many European champions following a full summer campaign, Galileo was a shadow of the horse when he went to the Breeders Cup, but he was undoubtably one of the finest racehorses throughout the past decade, and a Derby winner to compare with the best over the last 25 years.
Alongside Montjeu, Galileo is the best son of his immortal sire to have raced, and has made a sensational start to his stallion career at Coolmore, having been represented by New Approach, Soldier Of Fortune and Rip Van Winkle to date.
He was bred to be a champion - and he most certainly lived up to those high expectations....
Vincent's achievements with the colossel bloodstock investment put in by Robert Sangster and John Magnier and their success in investing in the Northern Dancer blood-lines formed the Tipperary farm into the most powerful and famous training centre in the world.
