Galileo; Hard Spun; Dylan Thomas; Excellent Art
* THERE is no end to the great season being enjoyed by former shuttler Galileo with the champion sire responsible for yet another classic winner in the Irish Oaks at the Curragh on Sunday.
The rapidly improving filly Great Heavens (Galileo ex Magnificient Style, by Silver Hawk) lived up to her exceptional breeding to win the G1 Oaks for trainer John Gosden and owner Lady Rothschild.
Great Heavens is a full-sister to Nathanial, the G1 Coral-Eclipse and 2011 King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes winner Nathaniel who just failed to make it a double at Ascot on Saturday when beaten a nose by Danedream among a strong of black-type performers out of the outstanding mare Magnificient Style.
Great Heavens had recorded a runaway win in G2 Lancashire Oaks at her previous start with the G1 Yorkshire Oaks and G1 St Leger now on her agenda,.
"There's no reason that a filly of her class couldn't do something like that - someone has got to take on Camelot," Gosden said of St Leger plans.
SHUTTLE sire Hard Spun recorded a quinella result in the G1 American Oaks at Saratoga on July 21 when the Godolphin homebred Questing cruised to victory over Zo Impressive.
Questing, out of the dual Listed winner Chercheuse (Seeking The Gold), was Hard Spun's second G1 winner in the US from his first NH crop. His first was Zo Impressive in the Mother Goose at Belmont.
The son of Danzig, standing in Victoria this spring, has produced six individual winners from his first crop to race in Australia this season.
Chercheuse is a daughter of the Storm Bird mare Sassy Bird and is a full sister to G2-winning sire Mukaddamah.
Another of Sassy Bird's siblings is the granddam of multiple G1 sprinter Switch.
Questing's fourth dam is noted Broodmare of the Year Natashka. Her female line includes G1 stars Ezzoud, Distant Relative, Elusive Quality, Dark Lomond; Gold And Ivory, Gregorian and Capote Belle.
All of Chercheuse's winners have been bred in the US but she is now based in Ireland where she has a colt foal by Cape Cross.
Hard Spun has sired more stakes horses than any other sire at this point in their career with 21 from his first crops including 11 black type winners.
Hard Spun's oldest southern hemisphere offspring are two-year-olds and include G3-performed filly Coins and metropolitan winners Crystal Web and Textiles.
* IRISH-bred filly Tannery became Dylan Thomas's second black type winner in Europe in 24 hours when she took out the G3 Kilboy Estate Stakes at the Curragh on Sunday.
The David Wachman-trained filly (Dylan Thomas x Danse Grecque, by Sadler's Wells) had previously won twice in Listed company this year.
Tannery won a day after another Dylan Thomas filly Chutney Flight ( ex Karly Flight, by Mansonnien) won the Listed Prix Madame Jean Couterie at Vichy.
Dylan Thomas (Danehill) now has five stakes winners in his first two crops.
* PIVOTAL's classy young son Excellent Art added his fifth stakes winners and second in three days over the weekend.
He sired his fifth stakes winner when his daughter Hazel Lavery (ex Reprise, by Darshaan) scored in the Listed Aphrodite Stakes at Newmarket on Saturday.
His fourth individual stakes winner came two days earlier was Sparkling Portrait (ex Time Crystal, by Sadler's Wells) in the Listed Glasgow Stakes at Hamilton Park.
Excellent Art was also responsible for Saturday's G3 Minstrel Stakes second Singing Bird (ex Anna Deesse, by Anabaa).
At the same time his sire Pivotal (Polar Falcon) produced his 97th individual stakes winner when the unbeaten Harasiya (ex Hazariya, by Xaar) claimed the G3 Silver Flash Stakes at Leopardstown in Ireland.
Pivotal is the sire of top stallions Kyllachy and Captain Rio.
