The Cazoo Derby at Epsom on Saturday is being dedicated by the sponsor and organisers to the memory of jockey Lester Piggott, who died on May 29 at the age of 86.
It’s a fitting tribute to the nine times Derby winner, who became synonymous with the race from his first win in 1954 to his final triumph on Teenoso in 1983.
Bloodstock professionals will also be recalling Galileo, the legendary stallion whose progeny dominate the race line-up.
The Coolmore stallion was one of the most sought-after sires in the world, and he was euthanized in July 2021 at the age of 23 after a foot injury failed to respond to surgery.
Galileo was an enormous money-spinner for Coolmore Stud, led by John Magnier. His stud fee was privately negotiated, and broodmare owners could expect to pay from €400,000 to €600,000 for a cover.
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According to Wikipedia, industry experts speculate that at the height of his stud career Galileo generated c.€40m per annum in stud fees for Coolmore.
Of the 17 colts expected to go to post for the Cazoo Derby on Saturday (4.30pm), three are sons of Galileo and eight are his grandsons.
The first five horses in the betting are Galileo progeny, including the favourite Desert Crown (9/4), whose sire Nathaniel is one of the many hundreds of colts sired by Galileo.
Nathaniel doesn’t stand at Coolmore, so the Tipperary team won’t have much consolation if the Dante winner fulfils his potential and sees off the competition from Aidan O’Brien's runners.
Nathaniel stands at Newsells Park Stud in Hertfordshire, and the current advertised cover fee of £15,000 will pop a lot higher if Desert Crown is first past the post.
The three Galileo sons in the race are trained by Aidan O’Brien. The pick of the bunch, according to the Paddy Power betting market, is Stone Age (4/1), followed by Changingoftheguard (15/2) and Star of India (14/1).
A win for any of this trio would further reinforce Galileo’s credentials and, most likely, future stud fee income at Coolmore.
Third in the betting is Galileo's grandson Nations Pride (6/1). His sire Teofilo stands at Sheikh Mohammed's Kildangan Stud in Kildare, and his cover fee is €30,000, according to Weatherbys.
Also prominent in the betting is Piz Badile (10/1), a Galileo grandson trained by Aidan’s son Donnacha O’Brien. Piz Badile’s sire Ulysses stands at Cheveley Park Stud in Newmarket and has a cover fee of £10,000.
The most fancied horse in the betting market outside the Galileo universe is Walk Of Stars (16/1). This three-year-old colt represents Godolphin, Coolmore’s great rival.
Walk Of Stars’ sire is Dubwai, who services mares at Darley's Dalham Hall Stud in Newmarket for a reported cover fee of £250,000.
Galileo’s son Frankel, who stands at Banstead Manor Stud in Newmarket, for £200,000 a cover, is represented by two Derby runners, Westover (25/1) and Nahanni (28/1).
Frankel has sired one Epsom Derby winner to date, Adayar in 2018.
The other Galileo grandsons in the Derby are West Wind Blows (33/1), Grand Alliance (100/1) and El Habeeb (250/1).
Of this trio, the relevant Coolmore stallion is Churchill, sire of Grand Alliance, and his stud fee is €25,000 a cover.
Absent any of Galileo’s three sons winning the Cazoo Derby, a pleasing result for Coolmore would be a win for Royal Patronage (28/1).
The breeding line for his sire Wootton Bassett is through Godolphin stock, but Wootton Bassett stands at Coolmore and €150,000 a cover is charged for his services.
