It's the Galileo show as Irish Champions Weekend gets under way

The first day of Longines Irish Champions Weekend at Leopardstown on Saturday belonged to Galileo as the Coolmore phenomenon supplied four of the six stakes winners on the card and was represented as grandsire by the other two.

Galileo's four-timer, achieved entirely by horses saddled by Aidan O'Brien and owned by Coolmore, was initiated by Blissful when she scored by a nose in the Listed Ballylinch Stud Irish EBF Ingabelle Stakes for two-year-old fillies over seven furlongs.

Saturday's racing results

Blissful, who just denied the Ger Lyons-trained Kodiac filly Nurse Barbara on the line, was bred by Coolmore out of the Listed-winning and Group 2-placed Danehill mare Massarra, a half-sister to successful stallions Invincible Spirit and Kodiac.

Massarra has been an outstanding broodmare, having produced 11 winners in total, including Italian Group 1 heroine Nayarra to Cape Cross. She has been mated exclusively with Galileo since 2010 and has previously produced stakes winners Cuff, Gustav Klimt and Wonderfully to him.

Two races later at Leopardstown and another offspring of Galileo graced the winner's enclosure, this time the exciting Mogul after beating Sinawann, a son of Kingman trained by Mick Halford for owner-breeder the Aga Khan, by one and a quarter lengths in the Group 2 KPMG Champions Juvenile Stakes.

Mogul was bred by Newsells Park Stud from its fine producer Shastye, a Listed-placed Danehill half-sister to Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe hero Sagamix, fellow Group 1 winner Sagacity and Group 2 scorer Sage Et Jolie, the dam of Prix d'Ispahan scorer Sageburg.

Shastye has produced six winners, headed by this season's Grand Prix de Paris and Juddmonte International victor Japan, Middleton Stakes winner and Oaks runner-up Secret Gesture and Group 3 scorer Sir Isaac Newton.

Mogul cost Coolmore 3,400,000gns at Book 1 of last year's Tattersalls October Yearling Sale, while Sir Isaac Newton was bought by the same operation for 3,600,000gns and Japan was a 1,300,000gns purchase. Shastye's yearlings have earned more than 11 million in the sale-ring for Newsells Park.

Galileo at home at CoolmoreCredit: Patrick McCann

In the following race Norway – a Galileo brother to Derby hero Ruler Of The World and half-brother to multiple Group 1 winner Duke Of Marmalade – ran out a decisive winner of the Group 3 Paddy Power Betting Shop Stakes.

The three-year-old colt was bred by Southern Bloodstock out of the Group 3-placed Kingmambo mare Love Me True, who has also produced Irish Derby third Giovanni Canaletto, Group 2 winner Annus Mirabilis and Group 3-placed Countess Limonade, as well as Soinlovewithyou, the winning dam of this season's Listed scorer and Prix de Pomone runner-up Love So Deep.

Norway and his siblings hail from an exceptional family that counts the champions A.P. Indy, Lemon Drop Kid and Wolfhound among its members.

Galileo's Leopardstown four-timer was completed in spectacular fashion as he supplied the first three home in the meeting's showpiece race, the Qipco Irish Champion Stakes – Magical leading home Magic Wand and Anthony Van Dyck.

It is the eighth time that Galileo progeny have filled the first three positions in Group 1 company after the 2006 St Leger (Sixties Icon-The Last Drop-Red Rocks); 2014 Irish Derby (Australia-Kingfisher-Orchestra); 2015 Moyglare Stud Stakes (Minding-Ballydoyle-Alice Springs); 2016 1,000 Guineas (Minding-Ballydoyle-Alice Springs); 2016 Arc (Found-Highland Reel-Order Of St George); 2017 Prince of Wales's Stakes (Highland Reel-Decorated Knight-Ulysses); and 2019 Irish Derby (Sovereign-Anthony Van Dyck-Norway).

Magical was bred by Orpendale, Chelston and Wynatt out of triple Group 1 winner Halfway To Heaven, a daughter of Pivotal and sprinting ace Cassandra Go. That makes her a sister to champion mare Rhododendron and Group 3 scorer Flying The Flag.

The superstar stallion's influence was also felt in the other Group 1 on the day, the Coolmore Fastnet Rock Matron Stakes, in which Norway's brother Ruler Of The World supplied the winner, Iridessa, who beat Galileo's daughter Hermosa.

Iridessa: by Ruler Of The World, a Galileo brother to NorwayCredit: Patrick McCann

Now a three-time Group 1 winner, Iridessa is trained by Joseph O'Brien and was bred by his parents' Aidan and Annemarie's Whisperview Trading breeding enterprise.

She is out of the unraced mare Senta's Dream, an unraced daughter of Danehill and Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf winner Starine.

Galileo also got in on the act in Leopardstown's other stakes race on Saturday, as he is damsire of Group 2 Clipper Logistics Boomerang Stakes winner Space Traveller.

Space Traveller, carrying the colours of the sponsor, is by Bated Breath out of the winning mare Sky Crystal, making him a half-brother to Dick Poole Fillies' Stakes third Pellucid.

Bred by the El Catorce Partnership, he was bought by Joe Foley for 85,000gns from Book 3 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale.

Blissful and Mogul were first-time stakes winners, and take Galileo's tally to 305.

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