It's something of an anomaly that Galileo, the champion sire son of the great Sadler's Wells, has left only two Group One winners in Australia among the 500 foals he produced in Australia from his five seasons of shuttle service in the Hunter Valley.
Photo by Studs
The 2001 English and Irish Derby winner, now being lauded as one of Europe's greatest ever sires with 18 northern hemisphere G1 winners to his credit including the mighty Frankel, shuttled to Coolmore Australia between 2002 and 2006.
However It took until last Saturday for rugged stayer Niwot to give Galileo just his second Australian G1 winner when he outstayed the 2007 Melbourne Cup winner Efficient to win the Sydney Cup at Randwick.
His first Australian G1 winner was Sousa, winner of the Spring Champion Stakes at Randwick in 2008.
Another two Galileo products foaled in Australia have won G1 races overseas, being South Africa's Horse of the Year Igugu and the widely travelled Mahbooba, a G1 winner at two, a Dubai classic star at three and last year at four a Listed winner in England.
All told, including exported progeny, Galileo has left about 250 winners from Australian use headed by 21 stakes winners including four at G1 level and another six in G2 and G3 races.. Seventeen others have stakes placed.
In addition Galileo has had 20 runners in Australia foaled in Great Britain or Ireland and one dropped in Germany.
They have included G2 Adelaide Cup winner Muir and Melbourne Cup placegetters Purple Moon and Mahler.
Niwot's success in the Sydney Cup was a tremendous feat for the training team of Hall of Famer John Hawkes and his sons Michael and Wayne.
They resurrected Niwot from a broken knee and nearly two years out of action to develop him into one of our finest stayers.
Since February of 2010, Niwot has started16 times for three wins including the Sydney Cup and the G2 VRC Lexus at Flemington.
Breeding wise Niwot, sold to John Hawkes for $200,000 as a Sydney Easter yearling, adds to his Galileo stamina by being from Too Darn Hot, winner of six races including the Listed Tattersall's Plate over 2400m at Randwick.
Too Darn Hot is bred on superior New Zealand stamina lines. Her sire Noble Bijou was unraced but a powerfully bred son of Vaguely Noble who became a top sire.
Among his offspring have been the brothers The Phantom Chance (11 wins, NZ Derby, WS Cox Plate) and The Phantom (10 wins, LKS Mackinnon Stakes, Underwood Stakes; second Melbourne Cup, third twice in the Caulfield Cup).
Noble Bijou's daughters have produced winners of the Melbourne Cup, Sydney Cup, Brisbane Cup, Adelaide Cup, Wellington Cup, Auckland Cup and New Zealand Cup.
Niwot's grandam Kiss Me Kate only won up to 1400m, but she was by the great Balmerino, winner of 19 races in Australasia to 3200m including the NZ Derby, Rawson Stakes and Brisbane Cup.
Abroad Balmerino won twice at Goodwood in the UK and was second in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe in Paris.
At stud in New Zealand Balmerino sired Bounty Hawk (Victoria Derby, WATC Australian Derby, second Caulfield Cup), Donegal Mist (AJC Metropolitan, Moonee Valley Cup, third Brisbane Cup), Rocket Racer (Perth Cup), Linc The Leopard (Perth Cup) and Balciano (AJC Metropolitan).
Niwot's third dam's sire Mellay included among his offspring Princess Mellay (NZ Cup twice), Swell Time (Caulfield Cup; second Cox Plate) and Rose Mellay (Auckland Cup).
