Galileo head shot

Galileo wins fifth championship

The brilliant Galileo was crowned European champion sire for a fifth time in 2013, during a year in which he cemented his status as the best stallion on the planet.

According to Racing Post statistics, Galileo’s 162 British and Irish winners in 2013 accrued £4,733,222 in prize money during the year, £2.2 million more than his nearest rival.

Galileo’s achievements have also eclipsed anything achieved by stallions in America with his total 2013 North American and European earnings coming to $14,354,382, according to figures generated by The Jockey Club Information Systems for the TDN.

Writing in Thursday’s TDN, Bill Oppenheim commented: “From 319 runners, Galileo sired 32 black-type winners (BTW) in 2013, and 65 black-type horses (BTH, won or placed in a

black-type race); that’s 10% BTW/runners during the year, and over 20% BTH. He sired 20 group/graded stakes winners (GSW) - 6.3% of his runners last year - and a quite remarkable 46 graded/group stakes horses (GSH) -14.4% of runners.

“His career totals now read: 129 BTW; 226 BTH; 81 GSW; 154 GSH; and now 33 Group 1/Grade I winners (G1SW), in nine crops of racing age through 2013. He’s the greatest since his own sire, Sadler’s Wells.”

Among his 2013 flagbearers were G1 Derby hero Ruler Of The World (4c Galileo-Love Me True, by Kingmambo), Magician (4c Galileo-Absolutelyfabulous, by Mozart), winner of the G1 Breeders’ Cup Turf and G1 Irish 2,000 Guineas as well as G1 Prix du Jockey-Club hero Intello (4c Galileo-Impressionnante, by Danehill).

He also had no shortage of exciting two-year-olds, including Australia (3c Galileo-Ouija Board, by Cape Cross), currently favourite for the 2014 G1 Derby and G1 2,000 Guineas. Meanwhile, his yearlings have stolen the show in the sale ring headed by a 5,000,000gns filly at Tattersalls in October who became the dearest thoroughbred ever sold at public auction in Europe.

Galileo becomes the remarkable 24th consecutive winner of the British and Irish sires’ championship (and 26th in total) for Coolmore and his exploits have impressed many seasoned observers of the bloodstock industry.

Writing in the Racing Post in June, Tony Morris commented: “Galileo is truly a phenomenon, a ruler of the world himself and universally acknowledged as the best sire on the planet.”