First Winner for Churchill

Galileo’s champion son Churchill is on the board with his first winner after promising colt Il Grande Gatsby (2c Churchill x Irene Watts, by Miswaki Tern) saluted at Rome in Italy.

The Mario Giorgi trained colt won the 1400m maiden by a length and a half, improving on his debut second last month to win at his second start.

Il Grande Gatsby is the fifth winner from five to race from Group III placed Irene Watts, who comes from the family of Group II winner Russian Lady.

A brilliant miler that won four Group I races at two and three, Churchill returns to Australia this spring at a fee of $22,000 and will have his first runners here next season.

His yearlings have sold strongly here this year with 35 in total selling at average in excess of $108,000 with his top seller a colt from Heaven’s Touch that made $250,000 at Magic Millions when snapped up by Anthony Freedman Racing/Blue Sky Bloodstock P/L.