Galileo's Gustav Klimt Gets Up For Superlative Win

Gustav Klimt (right) | Racing Post

By

Early clues that Gustav Klimt occupied a high placing in the pecking order among the Ballydoyle juveniles came when he was introduced in the same six-furlong Curragh maiden May 28 used to launch Churchill (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) 12 months earlier and like that dual Classic hero he was not sharp enough to come out on top. Showing some promise in fifth there, he was sent to the track's seven-furlong maiden July 2 which the stable had won with Duke of Marmalade (Ire), Rip Van Winkle (Ire), Roderic O'Connor (Ire), The United States (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and Gleneagles (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and was able to demonstrate his obvious class and earn TDN Rising Star status with an authoritative success. The portents were strong as he proved hot property in the market for this and all seemed to be going to plan as he enjoyed a perfect rhythm near the steady early pace.

Held on to by Ryan Moore as the sprint began passing halfway, Gustav Kilmt met significant trouble 1 1/2 out as he was snatched up and his chance looked temporarily lost there. If his rider was perturbed, visually it was impossible to tell as he drew on all the calm his experience and skill has endowed him with and switched his mount towards the far rail. Picking up impressively in the style of a potential Guineas colt from there, he caught the strong-finishing Nebo 50 yards from the line before his Galileo staying power kicked in. “He's a very good horse and I really liked him on both starts,” his rider said. “He ran real green, as he had never been in tight before but that was a very good performance to get back from there. He has a lot of potential and settles very well and has a very good turn of foot.”

Typically, the bookmakers ran scared afterwards and cut the winner to prohibitive odds of around 6-1, but Aidan O'Brien is planning on putting Gustav Klimt along the lines of his past potential top-notchers. “Ryan felt the last day when he let him go at the Curragh he surprised him how he quickened and he was always going to take his time on him,” he explained. “He was just coming and it got a little bit tight, but he switched him very quick and he took off. We always thought he would be a National Stakes and Dewhurst-type horse. Obviously we have the Futurity [at The Curragh Aug. 20] and that is a Group Two. They are the races we would be thinking of.”

Charlie Hills was delighted with the runner-up Nebo, who was bouncing back from a latest flop when only ninth in the G2 Coventry S. “He has run a great race,” he said. “I think he is quick enough for six. He is just a proper two-year-old. He probably just got a little bit lost in the dip. When he hit the rising ground he came on again. He has got a few entries abroad.”

Gustav Klimt is the eighth winner produced by the speedy Listed Empress S. winner and G2 Prix Robert Papin runner-up Massarra and is potentially the best on this display. His full-siblings include the stable's G3 Silver Flash S. winner Wonderfully (Ire), the Listed Naas Sprint S. scorer Cuff (Ire) and the G1 St James's Palace S. third Mars (Ire), the last of which enjoyed a tall reputation at Ballydoyle in his formative period. He is also a half to the G1 Gran Criterium-winning Italian highweight Nayarra and to the dams of this year's Listed Lingfield Oaks Trial winner and G2 Ribblesdale S. third Hertford Dancer (GB) (Foxwedge {Aus}) and the Listed Lingfield Derby Trial scorer Kilimanjaro (Ire) (High Chaparral {Ire}). The second dam is the G1 Prix de Diane heroine Rafha, whose seven black-type performers are headed by the G1 Haydock Sprint Cup winner and imperious sire presence Invincible Spirit (Ire) and also Kodiac (GB) who is making his own name. This dynasty is a perfect blend of speed and stamina, with the middle-distance performers Sadian (GB) (Shirley Heights {GB}), Acts of Grace (Bahri) and Chinese White (Ire) (Dalakhani {Ire}) complementing the sprinters and also extends internationally, most notably via the G1 Inglis Sires and G1 Blue Diamond S. hero Pride of Dubai (Aus) (Street Cry {Ire}). The dam also has a yearling full-sister to the winner.

Saturday, Newmarket, Britain
BET365 SUPERLATIVE S.-G2, £80,000, NEW, 7-15, 2yo, 7fT, 1:25.39, g/f.
1–#@GUSTAV KLIMT (IRE), 127, c, 2, by Galileo (Ire)
1st Dam: Massarra (GB) (SW & GSP-Eng, GSP-Fr), by Danehill
2nd Dam: Rafha (GB), by Kris (GB)
3rd Dam: Eljazzi, by Artaius
O-Susan Magnier, Michael Tabor & Derrick Smith; B-Orpendale, Chelston & Wynatt (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien; J-Ryan Moore. £45,368. Lifetime Record: 3-2-0-0, $73,877. *Full to Wonderfully (Ire), GSW-Ire, £121,955; Cuff (Ire), SW-Ire; and Mars (Ire), G1SP-Eng & GSP-Ire, $153,762; and 1/2 to Nayarra (Ire) (Cape Cross {Ire}), Hwt. 2yo Filly & G1SW-Ity, MGSP-Eng & MSP-US, $268,629. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Nebo (Ire), 127, c, 2, Kodiac (GB)–Kindling (GB), by Dr Fong. (75,000gns Ylg '16 TAOCT). O-Mrs Julie Martin & David R Martin; B-Select Bloodstock & Melchior Bloodstock (IRE); T-Charles Hills. £17,200.
3–Great Prospector (Ire), 127, c, 2, Elzaam (Aus)–Guana (Ire), by Dark Angel (Ire). (€48,000 Wlg '15 GOFNOV; £95,000 Ylg '16 GOUKPR). O-Mr & Mrs J D Cotton; B-Patrick Gleeson (IRE); T-Richard Fahey. £8,608.
Margins: HD, HF, 3/4. Odds: 0.80, 10.00, 12.00.
Also Ran: Zaman (GB), Zaaki (GB), Finniston Farm (GB), Bullington Bandit (Ire), Etefaaq (Ire), Aqabah, Maksab (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.