Galileo makes history again as Serpentine becomes his fifth Derby winner

Galileo has become the first stallion to supply five winners of the Derby, with son Serpentine triumphing at Epsom on Saturday.

The latest of the Coolmore phenomenon's many history-making achievements breaks a record that had stood for more than two centuries, with Sir Peter Teazle the first to put four Derby winners on the board when Paris scored for him in 1806.

View the Derby result and watch race replay

The record was subsequently equalled by Waxy, Cyllene, Blandford, Montjeu and, of course, Galileo himself, until Serpentine's victory broke the deadlock.

Galileo's other Derby winners are New Approach, Australia, Ruler Of The World and Anthony Van Dyck.

With at least four more crops of three-year-olds set to compete for him in the coming years, he stands a good chance of extending his Derby record too.

Serpentine will go down as a surprise winner of the Derby having broken his maiden at the Curragh only last week, albeit by nine lengths, and some might question the form as he led his rivals a merry dance at Epsom under an enterprising ride by Emmet McNamara.

However, the Coolmore homebred was precision engineered to excel at Epsom, as not only is he by Galileo but he is also out of Remember When, who found only Snow Fairy too good in the Oaks.

The dam is a three-parts sister to brilliant middle-distance performer Dylan Thomas, beaten by wafer-thin margins into third by Sir Percy in the Derby.

Serpentine strolls home in the Derby after a fine front-running rideCredit: Edward Whitaker

Remember When and Dylan Thomas are out of blue hen Lagrion, a daughter of Diesis who also produced 1,000 Guineas heroine Homecoming Queen and champion two-year-old filly Queen's Logic.

Remember When has been sent to Galileo in every year of her paddocks career, and all of the first five runners in Europe resulting from the mating have now won stakes races.

Wedding Vow won the Kilboy Estate Stakes and was second in the Nassau; Beacon Rock took the Gallinule Stakes and was second in the King Edward VII Stakes; Bound landed the Trigo Stakes; and Bye Bye Baby won the Blue Wind Stakes and ran third in the Oaks.

Serpentine has two-year-old and yearling brothers on the ground.

Galileo had already broken a significant record this year, with daughter Peaceful becoming an unprecedented 85th Group/Grade 1 winner for the sire in the Irish 1,000 Guineas last month.

Serpentine extends that record by becoming number 86.

Galileo has also set a personal best, as 2020 is the first time he has supplied the winners of both the Derby and Oaks in the same year, with Love having bolted up in the fillies' Classic earlier in the day.

Urban Sea (left): don't forget her immense influence on the Derby

Galileo, a son of Sadler's Wells and Urban Sea, won the Derby himself in 2001 and has spent the last 19 years standing at Coolmore, latterly at a private fee believed to be sky-high.

Acknowledged as the best stallion in the world, his other headline-making progeny include Frankel, Found, Highland Reel, Magical and Waldgeist.

A factor of Galileo's success in the Derby that cannot be underestimated is the influence of Urban Sea.

The Arc heroine has now featured as ancestress of nine Derby winners this century: as dam of Galileo and Sea The Stars; as paternal granddam of New Approach, Australia, Ruler Of The World, Anthony Van Dyck and Serpentine as well as of Sea The Stars' son Harzand; and as great-granddam of New Approach's son Masar.

Urban Sea is also great-great-granddam of Masar in the maternal line, the Godolphin stallion being inbred to the matriarch 3x4, and for good measure her half-brother King's Best sired yet another recent Derby winner in Workforce.

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