Circus Maximus Adds To Galileo’s Group 1 Record

The Aidan O’Brien-trained Circus Maximus (3c Galileo - Duntle, by Danehill Dancer) became Galileo’s 78th Group/Grade 1 winner when beating a strong field to win the St. James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot.

Beaten just a length in the Group 1 Futurity Trophy last season, the bay colt made a successful return in the Listed Dee Stakes at Chester and finished sixth in the Epsom Derby next time out. Dropping back to a mile on Tuesday, he chased the leader under Ryan Moore, who asked him to quicken over a furlong from home and he ran on strongly to beat King Of Comedy by a neck. Last year’s top two-year-old Too Darn Hot took third, three parts of a length back from the second.

Ryan Moore commented after the race, “He's got plenty of speed and his dam Duntle was good. He ran a good race in the Derby and just didn't stay. When Too Darn Hot got to me, he didn't go by me and I knew this lad would keep finding.”

Circus Maximus was bred by Flaxman Stables, who own the colt in partnership with Mrs Magnier, Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith. He is the first foal out of multiple Stakes winner Duntle, herself a Group 2 winner at Royal Ascot and second in two Group 1 contests.