Cazoo Derby: Influence of Galileo hangs over the Derby, but can Bolger deliver again?

In the words of legendary Italian breeder, Federico Tesio: “The thoroughbred exists because its selection has depended, not on experts, technicians, or zoologists, but on a piece of wood: the winning post of the Epsom Derby.”

Those comments may not apply to the same extent when it comes to the recent crop of Derby victors, but one thing remains the same; the Derby is invariably your first Reference Point (1987 winner trained by Henry Cecil) when defining the season, and measuring the quality of horses around at the time.

There’s no race quite like it. Nothing as significant, nothing as tense, nothing with so many implications dependent on two-and-a-half minutes of heart-in-mouth action.

In recent years, no horse has left a greater impression on the Derby then 2001 winner Galileo, who has gone on to sire a record five winners of the race.

In the 2019 Derby alone, he was the sire, grandsire or great-grandsire of 12 out of the 13 runners.

The Coolmore behemoth is back for more this year as his sons, Bolshoi Ballet and High Definition, head the Cazoo Derby betting. While High Definition was the long-term ante-post favourite, his staying-on third behind fellow contender Hurricane Lane in the Dante Stakes left a lot to be desired.

Bred to stay every yard of one mile four furlongs as a brother to Irish and English St Leger-placed Southern France, Bolshoi Ballet has taken a more familiar route to Epsom.

Identically to his father, the grandson of 1996 July Cup winner Anabaa made a successful reappearance in the Ballysax Stakes before leaving the likes of recent Irish 2,000 Guineas winner Mac Swiney in his wake over the same course and distance in the Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial.

As one has come to expect, the Galileo connections don’t end there, with the next three colts in the Derby betting (all English-trained) sired by Frankel, a son of the 12-time Champion sire himself.

Frankel – Galileo’s masterpiece – never ran in the Derby himself, but he went close with 2017 favourite Cracksman, and he has already sired an Oaks winner in Anapurna.

Speaking of Anapurna, the Charlie Appleby-trained Hurricane Lane is bred along the same lines as a grandson of Shirocco (2006 Coronation Cup winner at Epsom).

A gritty winner of the Dante Stakes and a faultless three from three in his career, the chestnut may well be a Leger type in time with his mother, Gale Force, trained by James Fanshawe, winning three times up to two miles.

The most poignant winner of this year’s Derby would surely be the Shadwell Stud-owned Mohaafeth, an impressive winner of this month’s Listed Newmarket Stakes.

A fellow graduate of Normandie Stud like Hurricane Lane, the William Haggas-trained colt is bred for the job as a grandson of 2009 winner Sea The Stars. He’s also related to Roger Charlton’s four-year-old filly French Polish, who won over the Derby trip at Kempton in October.

The third of the Frankel battalion is arguably the colt with the most cast-iron pedigree in this year’s field. Trained by Ed Dunlop and named in memory of his late father, John Leeper is both owned and bred by Cristina Patino and family, and a son of their memorable 2010 Oaks heroine Snow Fairy, while his grandsire Intikhab was unbeaten around the undulations of Epsom, triumphing twice in pattern company.

As Serpentine cleared away from the field to silence from deserted stands at Epsom last year, it marked a record fifth victory for sire Galileo. His first was neither trained or bred by Aidan O’Brien or Coolmore though, but by Galileo’s most vehement supporter in his early years at stud, Jim Bolger.

Not only was New Approach the sire’s first Derby winner in 2008, his success later that season in the Irish Champion Stakes - and the Champion Stakes at Newmarket - helped Galileo become Champion sire for the first time, thus confirming himself the natural successor to Sadler’s Wells. Through New Approach, Bolger’s faith in Galileo is being repaid in the classic’s years later, with recent Guineas winners Poetic Flare, a grandson of New Approach, and Mac Swiney, his son.

It is in the horse named after Cork-born playwright, author and politician, Terence MacSwiney, where Bolger’s confidence lies this year.

A recent winner of the Irish 2,000 Guineas, and a homebred grandson of unbeaten champion two-year-old Teofilo (son of Galileo), Mac Swiney arguably possesses the strongest form in the field as a dual Group One winner.

Just over three lengths behind him at the Curragh was the O’Brien-trained Van Gogh, himself a son of US Triple Crown winner American Pharaoh. More significantly, the bay colt’s dam is 2001 Oaks winner Imagine and his damsire none other than Sadler’s Wells, father of Galileo.

While the 22-year-old Galileo’s influence on the thoroughbred is certain to live on for years to come as a broodmare sire, the need for an heir has become ever more apparent.

New Approach has already succeeded in providing a Derby winner through the Godolphin-owned Masar in 2018, while Frankel has struck classic high notes with the John Gosden-trained pair, Anapurna and Logician.

It probably lies with stylish 2012 Derby winner Camelot as to where the greatest potential may lie at stud to make the English Classic breakthrough.

In 2019, the filly Pink Dogwood and the colt Sir Dragonet, both trained by O’Brien, were less than a length away in the Oaks and Derby respectively.

Two years later, and the son of Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe winner Montjeu is responsible for the taking winner of the Chester Vase Stakes, Youth Spirit. The Andrew Balding-trained and Ahmad Al Shaikh-owned bay will don the same silks as those worn by last year’s Derby second Khalifa Sat.

As punters have come to learn in recent years, the supposed Ballydoyle second- or third-string can never be overlooked on the Downs.

The same adage applies to easy Leopardstown handicap winner Sir Lamorak, a Coolmore homebred who shares the same father as Youth Spirit and is a grandson of the ‘Iron horse’ Giant’s Causeway, a six-time Group One winner.

Another contender of note in this year’s field include the Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum-owned Third Realm, a taking winner the Derby Trial at Lingfield and trained by Roger Varian.

A son of Sea The Stars, Third Realm is from a family that Sheikh Obaid knows well, being related to pattern winners Cape Byron, Ostilio and Ajman Princess. While El Drama was fathered by 2010 French Derby winner Lope De Vega and is a brother to Volume, who finished third in the 2014 Epsom Oaks behind Taghrooda.

Only time will tell whether Galileo will add a sixth Derby triumph to his cabinet next month, 20 years on from his own. Or will it be one of his sons? Frankel to break new ground, or Camelot to end his English classic duck?

The one horse in this year’s field with Galileo bloodlines running through his pedigree is Mac Swiney, and the son of New Approach has been my idea of a Derby winner ever since his game victory in the Vertem Futurity Trophy at Doncaster last October.

And what a story it would be if Jim Bolger claimed the blue riband of Flat racing, from one son to another.