Champion sire Galileo remains the king of Royal Ascot after his imposing son Order Of St George won the G1 Ascot Gold Cup on Thursday.
Order Of St George (Galileo x Another Storm by Gone West) has now won twice at G1 following his big win in last year’s Irish St Leger at the Curragh and may be considered for a Melbourne Cup campaign considering he is part-owned by Australia’s Lloyd Williams.
A $550,000 purchase by Blandford Bloodstock at the 2013 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, Order Of St George is the seventh foal out of Another Storm and is a half-brother to five winners including G3 Prix Paul de Moussac winner Asperity (War Chant).
His second dam Storm Song (Summer Squall) was the US champion two-year-old filly in 1996 when she won the G1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies and the G1 Frizette Stakes.Galileo was crowned British and Irish champion sire for the seventh time in 2015. He has sired 219 individual stakes winners including 56 G1 winners.
RIBBLESDALE STAKES: NZ-based shuttle sire Mastercraftsman has produced another quality filly after the progressive Even Song added this prestige G2 event to her record.Mastercraftsman, a ten-year-old son of Danehill Dancer, won four times at G1 level and is the sire of leading performers The Grey Gatsby and Kingston Hill among his 32 stakes winners.
Bred by Barronstown Stud, Even Song is the fifth foal out of the Sadler's Wells mare Guantanamera and is a half-sister to four winners including last year's St Leger winner Simple Verse (Duke Of Marmalade).Dermot Farrington snapped up the filly from the Seskin Stud draft for €170,000 at the Goffs November Yearling Sale in 2013.
Kodiac is also the sire of Ardad, winner of Tuesday’s Listed Windsor Castle Stakes.
Prince Of Lir is the first foal to race out of the Whipper mare Esuvia, a half-sister to G3 winner Resplendent Glory (Namid).He was picked up for £170,000 at this year's Goffs UK Breeze-Up Sale by The Cool Silk Partnership, his owners, and Stroud Coleman Bloodstock.
His second dam Aoife (Thatching) won twice and is a half-sister to Dame Hester (Diktat), dam of German G3 winner Donnerschlag (Bahamian Bounty).Further back is the family of the NZ 1000 Guineas winner Platinum Witness (California Dane) and G3 winner Zennista (Zenno Rob Roy), who ran second in the G1 NZ Oaks.
The 15-year-old Kodiac stands at Tally Ho Stud in Ireland. His progeny include G1 winner Tiggy Wiggy, dual Group hero Kodi Bear and six-time scorer Gifted Master.BRITANNIA STAKES: Classic winner and former shuttler Lope De Vega continues to produce impressive offspring such as this three-year-old winner Defrocked.
Defrocked is by the French Derby winner Lope de Vega, standing at Ballylinch Stud, from the Night Shift mare Portelet, a four-time winner who Ballylinch picked up for 150,000gns at the 2005 Tattersalls December Mares Sale.A €90,000 purchase by Federico Barberini at the 2014 Goffs Orby Yearling Sale, Defrocked is a brother to the stakes placed winner Back On Top and is a half-brother to eight other winners including G2 winner Etlaala, a son of Selkirk.
Lope De Vega, a nine-year-old son of Shamardal is enjoying a stellar season with his G1 winners Jemayel and Belardo, the 2014 Dewhurst Stakes narrowly beaten US mare Tepin in the Queen Anne Stakes on opening day at Royal Ascot.TERCENTENARY STAKES: Hawkbill continued a good week for Godolphin with a dominant performance to land the Group 3 for Kentucky-based sire Kitten’s Joy.
Kitten's Joy won twice at the highest level and has produced a number of leading performers since retiring to stud in 2006 including five-time G1 winner Stephanie's Kitten, multiple Graded winner Big Blue Kitten and four-time winner Dean's Kitten.Bred by the Helen K Groves Revokable Trust, Hawkbill is the second foal out of the winning Giant's Causeway mare Trensa from the family of Breeders' Cup Mile winner and sire Cozzene.
His second dam Serape (Fappiano) won the G1 Ballerina Stakes and is a half-sister to Montera (Easy Goer) who is the dam of stakes winners Sue’s Good News (Woodman), the dam of G1 winner Tize Miz Sue (Tiznow), and Easyfromthegitgo (Dehere).Hawkbill was bought by John Ferguson for $350,000 at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale in 2014.
KING GEORGE V STAKES: Excellent Art, the sire of last week’s G1 Stradbroke Handicap winner Under The Louvre in Brisbane, added another stakes winner when Primitovo produced a late burst of speed to claim the final race on Thursday's card.
Primitivo is the first foal out of the winning Danehill Dancer mare Dolcetto and was purchased for 10,000gns by Highflyer Bloodstock at Book 3 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale in 2014.The 12-year-old Excellent Art, who won the G1 St James's Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot in 2007, shuttled to Australia and now stands at stud in India after being sold by Coolmore in 2013.
