Bright future beckons for Galileo Dame after Leopardstown success

Galileo Dame looks to have a bright future based on the way she quickened up to win the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Maiden at Leopardstown.

The last three winners have all gone on to be Group One performers in Tarnawa, Above The Curve and last season subsequent Irish Oaks winner Savethelastdance was successful in it.

Aidan O’Brien ran two with Ryan Moore preferring the claims of Rubies Are Red, a full-sister to multiple Group One winner Found and it was she and stablemate Flight Of Fancy who went for him just off the bend.

Dylan Browne McMonagle was just biding his time on the Joseph O’Brien-trained winner, though, and as soon as she was in the clear despite the ground being heavy she sprinted away to win by three and a half lengths at 13-8.

“She had a good run in soft ground last year and we thought that 10 furlongs would suit her well,” said Joseph O’Brien.

“I was very pleased and looking at that you’d have to say she’s a smart filly.

“I suppose the obvious thing now is to go into an Oaks trial of some sort. That’s probably where she’ll go.

“She’s owned by a great group of lads, the Annus Mirabilis Syndicate, Sean O’Driscoll and Brian McKieran. It’s exciting for them to have a real smart filly.”

Aidan O’Brien won the Aparto (C & G) Maiden, but not with the one many expected.

Moore had chosen the Justify colt Ortelius who went off odds-on but he had no answer to the Wayne Lordan-ridden The Equator, who won by three and a quarter lengths and a Derby trial now beckons.

“He had a lovely run last year and he’s a lovely big honest horse,” said the winning trainer.

“He handles an ease in the ground but will obviously handle it much better as well, he stays well. Wayne was very happy with him and said he went to the line very strong, he did that last year as a two-year-old as well.

“Definitely going up to a mile-and-a-quarter suited him and going further will probably suit him even better.

“He could go for a trial at Lingfield or somewhere like that, he’ll probably love going a mile-and-a-half and I’d say next time that’s what we will do.”

On Ortelius he added: “Ryan said he was a little bit slow away and he was just in the pocket behind the lads. He said he might have preferred to be in the race, and going, earlier.

“He said obviously he was struggling in the ground and will be much better on better ground.

“Next time you’ll see a different horse, I’d imagine, but it was still a lovely run and he was very happy with him.”

Aidan O’Brien must have fancied his chances of a double with Gallantly, another odds-on shot in the 1888 Restaurant (C & G) Maiden but he had no answer to Jessica Harrington’s Norwalk Havoc (10-1) who had finished last of six on his only run at two.

Harrington said: “It was great to get his head in front. He didn’t behave very well at the Curragh last year and when he came back from there he got castrated. It seems to have done the job.

“We always thought he had ability but he wasn’t giving it to us.”

He was the second leg of a double for Shane Foley who had earlier ridden John Harney’s first winner when Mr Rango (100-30) won the SHEIN Cup Handicap.

Joseph O’Brien and McMonagle also doubled up when Goldana (4-9) justified odds-on favouritism in the feature Irish Stallion Farms EBF Heritage Stakes but she was made to work extremely hard by Power Under Me.

“She really deserved it today. She had been running well with penalties, through the end of last season and on her first run this year,” said O’Brien.

“She’s a Group Three and Listed winner and it would be great if we could get her into Group Twos. There is a nice one on Guineas weekend but obviously we’ll be guided by conditions.”