Home

Now firmly-established as the heir to Sadlers Wells, Galileo (IRE) had a transatlantic double at the weekend. In Ireland, Oh Goodness Me (GB) (out of Coyote (GB) by Indian Ridge (IRE)) flashed her classic credentials in the Lodge Park Stud E.B.F. Park Express Stakes (Ire-III). On the same afternoon, 4-year-old Dress Rehearsal (IRE) (out of Sassenach (IRE) by Night Shift) gained her first graded success with a tally in the Orchid Stakes (gr. III).

Oh Goodness Me, who was rated A++ by TrueNicks prior to her win, follows Boylesports Irish One Thousand Guineas (Ire-I) heroine Nightime (IRE) as the second black-type winner for the Galileo/Indian Ridge cross, and we can also note that Galileo's son New Approach (IRE) (a champion at 2 and 3, and winner of the Vodafone Epsom Derby (Eng-I) -- is out of a mare by Ahonoora (GB), the sire of Indian Ridge. Ahonoora was by Lorenzaccio, a horse principally famous for defeating Nijinsky II in the Champion Stakes on that great performer's final outing. Lorenzaccio's third dam Jennydang (GB) is a half-sister to Rough Shod II, fourth dam of Sadlers Wells. The two branches of the family seem to enjoy recombining, and there are at least 23 stakes winners with Sadlers Wells in the sire and Lorenzaccio in the dam, and five of them are group or grade I winners.

Oddly enough there is a link between this background and that of Dress Rehearsal (A rated by TrueNicks). Dress Rehearsal's damsire Night Shift is out of a mare by the Canadian stallion Chop Chop. His granddam is by the stallion Tredennis (GB), out of a mare by a son of St. Simon (GB). Dalmary (GB) (dam of Jennydang and Rough Shod II) is out of a mare by Simon Square (GB) (by St. Simon out of a sister to Tredennis). Perhaps that is why horses from the Ahonoora/Indian Ridge line have worked very well back over Night Shift mares.

Filed under: Recent Winners, European Racing