Galileo's Search For A Song Wins the Irish Leger

By

Minutes before Pat Smullen's Champions Race at The Curragh, the stars were already aligning for the connections his career is so interwoven with as Moyglare Stud's Search For a Song (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) recorded an emotive success in Sunday's G1 Comer Group Irish St Leger. Less than a month after the passing of the operation's much-loved and admired Stan Cosgrove, the sole 3-year-old in the line-up seemed in a hurry to bring about the fairytale as she carted Chris Hayes throughout and led her rivals a merry dance. As her rider attempted to anchor the Listed Galtres S. winner near the back initially, she just became more lit up racing wide without cover and was given permission to move past the dawdling leaders and to the head of affairs at halfway. Clear in the straight and surprisingly unrelenting in her pursuit, the 10-1 shot stayed out of reach of some heavyweight stayers and had 2 1/4 lengths to spare over Kew Gardens (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) at the line, with 1 1/2 lengths back to Southern France (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in third. Nobody felt the gravity of the outcome more than trainer Dermot Weld and he said, “It's a very special win on a very special and emotional day. We're having wonderful horse racing, but I'm very proud of our industry the way we are supporting Pat Smullen and cancer research. Potentially she is a really high-class stayer.”

Becoming the first of her age and sex to win this since Petite Ile (Ire) (Ile de Bourbon) in 1989, Search For a Song was notably demonstrative in front before losing out to Trethias (GB) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) in the June 26 Listed Naas Oaks Trial. She never gave up in what was an inadequate 10-furlong test there and it was significant that she was tried in the July 20 G1 Irish Oaks by a trainer who knows what it takes to mix it in that company. Less than six lengths behind Star Catcher (GB) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) when fourth in that Classic, she again gave generously and was doing her best work in the closing stages and so the Galtres at York offered the perfect confidence boost Aug. 22.

Few horses can get away with tanking from the rear to the lead in such dramatic fashion as she did here and still win, but she has all the raw material of a top-class stayer. A full-sister to this year's Listed Esher S. winner Falcon Eight (Ire), she was always going to be served best by a true test and when that failed to materialise in the first half of the race she was rightfully given her head to take over from Lloyd Williams' G1 Gold Cup third Master of Reality (Ire) (Frankel {GB}). Chris Hayes was still sitting still as the older brigade began to busy themselves straightening for home and her continued exuberance from two out killed the contest. Only the returning Kew Gardens made any real impression as he put up an eye-catching prep for the G2 QIPCO British Champions Long Distance Cup at Ascot Oct. 19.

Hayes relived the experience afterwards. “Nothing went right. I had a plan in my head and spoke to Pat [Smullen] before the race and he gave me the confidence that once I had her in a rhythm to trust in her,” he said. “I knew after a furlong I was going to get into a row with her and there was no point as she's a beautiful, big-actioned filly. I was worried I had done too much, but I had a good sit as she ran down into the straight and she actually quickened up two out which surprised me. She's a high-class filly and she had felt unbelievable when I sat on her in the week. I'm sure they had a few sweats watching in the stands, as I was at the top of the hill, but she's a great filly with a huge future.”

Dermot Weld revealed that the winner, who may be finished for the season, is due to reappear in 2020. “That was as good a St Leger as I've won when you look at the ratings of the horses in the race,” he commented. “This has been a very special race for me over the years and it's the eighth time I've won it. There is a lot of stamina there, she was very fit and very well and often horses that run that free will relax when they get to the front. The world is her oyster next year and there is huge improvement potentially in this filly. She loves fast ground. She put up an excellent performance at York and has progressed throughout the year. I'd say that will be it for this year and hopefully she will make into a lovely four-year-old.”

Representing what is to put it mildly a phenomenal cross, Search For a Song is one of six individual black-type and five group winners out of the aptly-named Polished Gem (Ire) (Danehill) who earned the laurel of Broodmare of the year in 2015. Alongside the aforementioned Falcon Eight, she also provided Moyglare with one of their very best in the G1 Prince of Wales's S. hero and first-season sire Free Eagle (Ire) (High Chaparral {Ire}), the seven-times group-winning miler Custom Cut (Ire) (Nonowcato {GB}), the triple group scorer Sapphire (Ire) (Medicean {GB})–whose career pinnacle came when taking the British Champions Fillies & Mares S. when it was a group 2–and the G3 Queens Cup scorer Valac (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}).

Polished Gem is a full-sister to the GI Matriarch S. and G2 Sun Chariot S. heroine Dress To Thrill (Ire), with their dam being the G1 Irish 1000 Guineas winner Trusted Partner (Affirmed). The third dam Talking Picture (Speak John) captured the GI Matron S. and GI Spinaway S. before producing five stakes winners by Affirmed including Irish champion miler Easy To Copy whose own descendants are headed by the G1 Grand Prix de Paris and G1 Sydney Cup hero Gallante (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}). Polished Gem also has the stable's once-raced 2-year-old Galileo filly Amma Grace (Ire), who was third in a smart maiden at Cork at the start of the month, and a yearling colt by the same sire.

Sunday, Curragh, Ireland
COMER GROUP INTERNATIONAL IRISH ST LEGER-G1, €600,000, Curragh, 9-15, 3yo/up, 14fT, 3:03.24, g/f.
1–SEARCH FOR A SONG (IRE), 123, f, 3, by Galileo (Ire)
1st Dam: Polished Gem (Ire) (Broodmare of the Year-Ire), by Danehill
2nd Dam: Trusted Partner, by Affirmed
3rd Dam: Talking Picture, by Speak John
1ST GROUP WIN; 1ST GROUP 1 WIN. O/B-Moyglare Stud Farm Ltd (IRE); T-Dermot Weld; J-Chris Hayes. €342,000. Lifetime Record: SW-Eng, 5-3-1-0, $469,247. *Full to Falcon Eight (Ire), SW-Eng & GSP-Ire; and 1/2 to Free Eagle (Ire) (High Chaparral {Ire}), Hwt. Older Horse-Eur at 9.5-11f, G1SW-Eng, GSW & G1SP-Ire, $926,416; Sapphire (Ire) (Medicean {GB}), Hwt. Older Mare-Ire at 11-14f, MGSW & G1SP-Ire, GSW-Eng, $518,947; Custom Cut (Ire) (Notnowcato {GB}), Hwt. Older Horse-Ire at 7-9.5f, MGSW-Eng & Ire, $951,925; and Valac (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}), GSW-Aus, $202,021. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Kew Gardens (Ire), 135, c, 4, Galileo (Ire)–Chelsea Rose (Ire), by Desert King (Ire). O-Derrick Smith, Susan Magnier & Michael Tabor; B-Barronstown Stud (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien. €120,000.
3–Southern France (Ire), 135, c, 4, Galileo (Ire)–Alta Anna (Fr), by Anabaa. O-Halo Racing, ATB & Coolmore Partners; B-Lynch-Bages & Rhinestone Bloodstock (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien. €60,000.
Margins: 2 1/4, 1HF, HD. Odds: 10.00, 3.50, 9.00.
Also Ran: Cross Counter (GB), Master of Reality (Ire), Latrobe (Ire), Twilight Payment (Ire), Cypress Creek (Ire), Salouen (Ire), Capri (Ire). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

Not a subscriber? Click here to sign up for the daily PDF or alerts.

Copy Article Link

X

Never miss another story from the TDN

Click Here to sign up for a free subscription.