Tag Archive for: Galileo Dame

Galileo Dame tests Triumph claims for Joseph O’Brien

/in /by

The last four Triumph Hurdle winners have all run in the Gannon’s City Recovery And Recycling Services Juvenile Hurdle at Leopardstown and Joseph O’Brien is hoping Galileo Dame can add her name to the list.

Quilixios and Vauban took both races, while Lossiemouth and Majborough were both placed before winning at the Cheltenham Festival in March.

Galileo Dame was smart on the Flat and finished a fine second to the reopposing Wendrock on her jumping debut at Leopardstown over Christmas, a run from which she is entitled to be sharper, believes her trainer.

“Hopefully she’ll improve from her first run, she should certainly benefit from her first experience,” said O’Brien.

“We’re looking forward to seeing how she gets on, she should enjoy the ground on the slow side and she has prepared well.

“We know she’s got ability from the Flat and while she’s still a maiden, we may as well run her in nice races that are worth winning, but at the same time this also looks the right race to run her in.

“It’s not a big field and it looks an open race, so this looks the right spot for her.”

Willie Mullins is bidding for a fourth successive win after Vauban, Gala Marceau and Kargese, and again the champion trainer holds a strong hand.

Only one of the aforementioned was partnered by Paul Townend, who this year rides the Rich Ricci-owned Sainte Lucie, who made a very impressive debut at Punchestown when winning by 11 lengths.

“I was really taken with her, I didn’t expect that,” said Mullins.

“I thought she was half-decent but I thought that was a huge performance, knowing that she’s only half-ready. She’s going to improve a lot, I hope.”

Lady Vega Allen pushed Gavin Cromwell’s highly-touted Hello Neighbour, who also runs in this, when first and second in a Grade Two at Christmas.

“She put in some run the other day,” said Mullins of Sean O’Keeffe’s mount.

“We were only hoping to get a run into her, to see what she was like and look what she did, so I think with normal improvement, hopefully she’ll put in a really good run in Dublin.”

Sony Bill, who will be partnered by Danny Mullins, was third in the same race.

“He ran well, he had plenty of experience in France, so I don’t know how much improvement he has in him, because he had all that experience, so he might not have as much improvement in him as some of the others,” said Mullins

Mullins also runs Willy De Houelle, who was the early favourite for the Triumph but has failed to win in two starts to date in Ireland.

Cromwell will equip Hello Neighbour with a hood as his handler seeks a more restrained performance.

“He didn’t do everything right when he won the last day and we’ve put the hood on him here to help him settle, which he seems to have taken well to at home. If he does things right here, then he’d have a very good chance,” he told William Hill.

“The ultimate aim with him is the Triumph Hurdle. As expected, it looks a very strong race with a couple of exciting British horses in there. Hopefully we’ll be in the mix come March.”

The eighth and final runner is Declan Queally’s Bacchanalian, a winner at the third time of asking over obstacles at Fairyhouse.

“If it gets a bit sticky and tacky, I think it will really play into our hands against a lot of Flat-bred juveniles that don’t handle the ground,” said Queally.

“I think we are there to run a big race in tough conditions, because he’s 17 hands – he’s a really big, strong horse that loves the dig in the ground.

“It is a big step up, but if the track is gluey, I think he will handle it, so he deserves to take his chance anyway.”

Joseph O’Brien believes Galileo Dame can answer Cheshire Oaks question

/in /by

Joseph O’Brien has watched his father Aidan win the Weatherbys E-Passport Cheshire Oaks a record eight times, but now has the chance to join him on the roll of honour with Galileo Dame holding leading claims at Chester on Wednesday.

The daughter of Galileo Gold built on an encouraging effort on debut at Gowran late last year to defeat his father’s Rubies Are Red when opening her account at Leopardstown last month.

She pulled three and a half lengths clear in that maiden contest and now takes the step up to Pattern company with her handler eager to test her credentials at a higher level on this raiding mission to the Roodee.

“She won really nicely at Leopardstown and now steps up slightly in trip which we think she will handle fine,” said O’Brien.

“Her two runs so far have been on soft ground, so getting on better ground will be a slight unknown for her.

“However, we think she is a nice filly who will be able to hold her own in Listed company going forward.”

As well as the aforementioned Rubies Are Red, Aidan O’Brien will also saddle Dundalk maiden winner Port Fairy in a race he has won five times in the last 10 years.

Aidan O’Brien has an excellent record at Chester
Aidan O’Brien has an excellent record at Chester (Brian Lawless/PA)

Also saddling two in the race is Ralph Beckett, who appears to have strong claims with impressive Wolverhampton scorer Forest Fairy and also runs Seaward who was pitched into Group One company when last seen at the end of 2023.

The former holds an entry for both the Betfred Oaks at Epsom and the Ribblesdale Stakes at Ascot and her handler is looking forward to seeing her hit the track for only a second time.

“It was a good effort first time and I don’t think we were expecting it,” said Beckett.

“She has done well for the time she has been given in between. She’s a tall, well-balanced filly who has worked well on the grass at home and we’re looking forward to it.

“This is the right place for her and she’s been training well in the run up to it.”

On Seaward, he added: “We set her a stiff task last year, but she has wintered well and she’s a handy filly who will handle the track well in our view.

“We’re drawn well with both fillies which is always a big help (at Chester).”

Andrew Balding’s Lasting Love has twice caught the eye in defeat and could be an improver, while similar could be said for John and Thady Gosden’s Beeley, who steps up in trip having finished second on both times she has consented to race so far.

Beeley is still a maiden after two starts
Beeley is still a maiden after two starts (Simon Marper/PA)

A spirited daughter of Camelot, the Duke Of Devonshire-owned three-year-old has twice got loose before entering the stalls, but she clearly possess ability and pushed a well-regarded stablemate close at Sandown last time.

“She ran very well at Sandown last time which was only her second start,” said Thady Gosden.

“It was only her second start and she will improve for the step up in trip. It was a stiff mile and a half at Sandown and hopefully she will enjoy the extra distance.”

Not many will go from a 0-75 handicap to a Listed Oaks trial, but that is challenge presented to Adrian Keatley’s hat-trick-seeking Flying Finn. Ambiente Amigo was well held on her Newmarket return but has previously contested at the highest level and is held in high regard by trainer James Owen.

Bright future beckons for Galileo Dame after Leopardstown success

/in /by

Galileo Dame looks to have a bright future based on the way she quickened up to win the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Maiden at Leopardstown.

The last three winners have all gone on to be Group One performers in Tarnawa, Above The Curve and last season subsequent Irish Oaks winner Savethelastdance was successful in it.

Aidan O’Brien ran two with Ryan Moore preferring the claims of Rubies Are Red, a full-sister to multiple Group One winner Found and it was she and stablemate Flight Of Fancy who went for him just off the bend.

Dylan Browne McMonagle was just biding his time on the Joseph O’Brien-trained winner, though, and as soon as she was in the clear despite the ground being heavy she sprinted away to win by three and a half lengths at 13-8.

“She had a good run in soft ground last year and we thought that 10 furlongs would suit her well,” said Joseph O’Brien.

“I was very pleased and looking at that you’d have to say she’s a smart filly.

“I suppose the obvious thing now is to go into an Oaks trial of some sort. That’s probably where she’ll go.

“She’s owned by a great group of lads, the Annus Mirabilis Syndicate, Sean O’Driscoll and Brian McKieran. It’s exciting for them to have a real smart filly.”

Aidan O’Brien won the Aparto (C & G) Maiden, but not with the one many expected.

Moore had chosen the Justify colt Ortelius who went off odds-on but he had no answer to the Wayne Lordan-ridden The Equator, who won by three and a quarter lengths and a Derby trial now beckons.

“He had a lovely run last year and he’s a lovely big honest horse,” said the winning trainer.

“He handles an ease in the ground but will obviously handle it much better as well, he stays well. Wayne was very happy with him and said he went to the line very strong, he did that last year as a two-year-old as well.

“Definitely going up to a mile-and-a-quarter suited him and going further will probably suit him even better.

“He could go for a trial at Lingfield or somewhere like that, he’ll probably love going a mile-and-a-half and I’d say next time that’s what we will do.”

On Ortelius he added: “Ryan said he was a little bit slow away and he was just in the pocket behind the lads. He said he might have preferred to be in the race, and going, earlier.

“He said obviously he was struggling in the ground and will be much better on better ground.

“Next time you’ll see a different horse, I’d imagine, but it was still a lovely run and he was very happy with him.”

Shane Foley and Norwalk Havoc
Shane Foley and Norwalk Havoc (PA)

Aidan O’Brien must have fancied his chances of a double with Gallantly, another odds-on shot in the 1888 Restaurant (C & G) Maiden but he had no answer to Jessica Harrington’s Norwalk Havoc (10-1) who had finished last of six on his only run at two.

Harrington said: “It was great to get his head in front. He didn’t behave very well at the Curragh last year and when he came back from there he got castrated. It seems to have done the job.

“We always thought he had ability but he wasn’t giving it to us.”

He was the second leg of a double for Shane Foley who had earlier ridden John Harney’s first winner when Mr Rango (100-30) won the SHEIN Cup Handicap.

Joseph O’Brien and McMonagle also doubled up when Goldana (4-9) justified odds-on favouritism in the feature Irish Stallion Farms EBF Heritage Stakes but she was made to work extremely hard by Power Under Me.

“She really deserved it today. She had been running well with penalties, through the end of last season and on her first run this year,” said O’Brien.

“She’s a Group Three and Listed winner and it would be great if we could get her into Group Twos. There is a nice one on Guineas weekend but obviously we’ll be guided by conditions.”