Galileo Nears Century Of Group 1 Winners
Warm Heart (3f Galileo - Sea Siren, by Fastnet Rock) became the 99th Group 1 winner by the late, great Galileo when leading home a 1-2-3 for the legendary sire in Thursday’s Yorkshire Oaks.
The beautifully-bred bay won a Leopardstown maiden in May and quickly followed up in a Listed race, before completing a hat-trick in the Group 2 Ribblesdale Stakes. Subsequently fifth to stablemate Savethelastdance (Galileo) in the Irish Oaks, Aidan O’Brien’s charge returned to more prominent tactics at York, with James Doyle riding her in touch with the leaders. Travelling well with three furlongs left to race, she soon pressed her aforementioned stablemate and asserted approaching the final furlong. The five-year-old Free Wind (Galileo) produced a strong challenge, but Warm Heart rallied to prevail by a head on the line, as Savethelastdance (Galileo) kept on in third, ahead of Bluestocking (Camelot) in fourth.
Speaking after the race, a delighted James Doyle said, “I grew up watching those titanic battles in races like the Irish Champion Stakes and it really means a lot. She's very brave and it's a quality Aidan O'Brien really trains in these horses. They're very tough and, when you get into the guts of a battle, you like to be on them.”
Friday marked a seventh success in the race for Aidan O’Brien, with previous winners including the great Alexandrova (Sadler’s Wells), Peeping Fawn (Danehill) and Love (Galileo). On his latest winner, the master of Ballydoyle said, “She's a very classy filly and you saw what she did in the Ribblesdale. She's strong and has tactical speed as well. She can do anything, she can go to France, she could end up in a Breeders' Cup.”
Warm Heart is owned by Westerberg with Coolmore partners, with the latter having bred the daughter of Galileo out of triple Group 1 winner Sea Siren (Fastnet Rock).