Galileo, one of the greatest sires of all time, dies at 23
Galileo (Sadler’s Wells), the sire of 338 individual stakes winners, including 91 at Group 1 level as he became one of the most decorated sires of all time with his offspring including the likes of Frankel and Australia, has died aged 23.
Coolmore Stud, where the 12-time champion sire stood throughout his record-breaking career, announced in a statement the decision had been taken to euthanise Galileo on humane grounds due to a “chronic, non-responsive, debilitating injury to the near-fore foot.”
John Magnier, owner of Coolmore Stud and many of Galileo’s finest sons and daughters, said: “It is a very sad day, but we all feel incredibly fortunate to have had Galileo here at Coolmore. I would like to thank the dedicated people who looked after him so well all along the way.
“He was always a very special horse to us and he was the first Derby winner we had in Ballydoyle in the post Vincent O’Brien era. I would also like to thank Aidan [O’Brien] and his team for the brilliant job they did with him.
“The effect he is having on the breed through his sons and daughters will be a lasting legacy and his phenomenal success really is unprecedented.”
A son of the multiple champion sire Sadler’s Wells (Northern Dancer) out of the 1993 Prix de l’arc de Triomphe (Gr 1, 2400m) winner Urban Sea (Miswaki), Galileo was a racehorse of high calibre with wins in the Derby (Gr 1, 1m4f), Irish Derby (Gr 1, 1m4f) and King George (Gr 1, 1m4f) in 2001 before finishing second to Fantastic Light (Rahy) in one of the most memorable runnings of the Irish Champion Stakes (Gr 1, 1m2f).
However, his achievements on the track have gone on to be outshone by his career as a stallion with an endless list of superstars, led by the unbeaten Frankel, who is establishing himself as a sire of repute.
In Australia, he has sired nine Group 1 winners, including Cox Plate (Gr 1, 2040m) winner Adelaide and Mackinnon Stakes (Gr 1, 2000m) winner Magic Wand.
Galileo is damsire to six-time Group 1 winner The Autumn Sun (Redoute’s Choice), who now stands at Arrowfield Stud, as well as high-class Group 1-winning fillies Tofane (Ocean Park), Invincibella (I Am Invincible), Personal (Fastnet Rock), Warning (Declaration Of War) and Unforgotten (Fastnet Rock).
Galileo, who himself shuttled to Australia for five seasons from 2002 to 2006, producing, among others, Sousa, who won the Spring Champion Stakes (Gr 1, 2000m), has gone on to shape the breed in China.
His sire-sons to have shuttled to the southern hemisphere include 2,000 Guineas (Gr 1, 1m) winner Churchill and globetrotting Group 1 winner Highland Reel, while in New Zealand Rip Van Winkle stood at Windsor Park Stud until his death in 2020, and the stud now stand Queen Anne Stakes (Gr 1, 1m) winner Circus Maximus for his debut season at stud.
Galileo’s influence stretched into the auction ring too, with yearlings routinely fetching seven figures when offered for sale.
They were topped by Al Naamah, who was bought as a yearling for 5,000,000gns (approx. AU$9,300,000) by Sheikh Joaan Al Thani’s Al Shaqab Racing in 2013, while Marsha (Acclamation) was snapped up by the Coolmore partners for 6,000,000gns (AU$11,200,000) in 2017 to be covered by the sire after he was shown to suit sprinting mares.
Bred in the purple by Sadler’s Wells out of ‘Arc’ heroine Urban Sea (Miswaki), who also produced six-time Group 1 winner and successful sire Sea The Stars (Cape Cross), Galileo was unbeaten in his first six starts and proved an immediate success at stud siring Irish 1,000 Guineas (Gr 1, 1m) winner Nightime from his first crop. Appropriately he became the most successful Group 1 sire of all time when his daughter Peaceful won the same race in June of last year.
His total of individual Group 1 winners now stands at 91 while no less than 20 of his sons have sired Group 1 winners on the flat, headed by Frankel, who has sired three Group 1 winners in Australia.