St Leger hero Jan Brueghel another Classic winner for the old master Galileo made in Barronstown Stud

Almost two decades after Galileo's first crop produced a clean sweep in the St Leger of 2006, the stallion's penultimate crop provided a one-two in the world's oldest Classic as Jan Brueghel defeated Illinois to become their sire's unprecedented 101st Group/Grade 1 winner.

The fourth winner of the oldest Classic by his breed-shaping sire, Jan Brueghel, who is named for the Flemish father and son painters of Jan Brueghel the Elder and Jan Brueghel the Younger, made his debut only in late May and was making just the fourth start of his career at Doncaster on Saturday, having won the Group 3 Gordon Stakes at Goodwood on his most recent run.

Trained by Aidan O'Brien and carrying the blue and maroon silks of Georg von Opel's Westerberg, who owns the bay colt with John Magnier, Derrick Smith and Michael Tabor, Jan Brueghel had also won the Group 3 International Stakes at the Curragh on Irish Derby weekend.

He was bred by David and Diane Nagle of Barronstown Stud, who also bred previous St Leger winners Simple Verse and Kew Gardens at their renowned Grangecon farm.

The importance of that connection to the Nagles, who have also bred champions including Yeats, Generous, Oratorio, Imagine and Horatio Nelson, as well as Wind In Her Hair, the Group 1-winning dam of Deep Impact, was not lost on part-owner Smith, whose colours were carried by runner-up Illinois, a half-brother to King George and Arc heroine Danedream.

Speaking to ITV Racing, Smith said: "He was bred by the Nagles at Barronstown Stud, which makes it a bit more special for us. Sean [Levey] said he was very babyish and should come on for the run, which is fantastic. There's everything to look forward to with him."

Jan Brueghel isn't the first Classic winner in his immediate family as he is a full-brother to the 2019 Irish Derby winner Sovereign, who chased home Enable in the King George a year after his Curragh victory. Another of their full-siblings is the Queen Alexandra Stakes winner Dawn Rising, who was third in the Irish St Leger.

Galileo's latest Group 1 victor is one of 27 stakes winners the stallion has out of Danehill Dancer mares, at a rate of 23 per cent winners to runners. Other Group 1 winners bred on this cross include Minding, successful seven times at the highest level, and her full-sisters Empress Josephine and Tuesday, as well as The Gurkha, Circus Maximus, Serpentine and Alice Springs. 

Jan Brueghel and Sean Levey return in triumph to the Doncaster winner's enclosureCredit: Edward Whitaker

Jan Brueghel's dam Devoted To You was placed at Group level in the Debutante and Park Express Stakes for O'Brien and Diane Nagle, and is a half-sister to the Grade 3 winner Humble Eight, by Seattle Battle, and who is the dam of Listed winners Stage Call and Humilis. 

Devoted To You is also a half-sister to the Listed Superlative Stakes winner Thady Quill, by Nureyev, the Silver Flash Stakes winner Starlight, a daughter of Storm Bird, and Sadler's Wells mare Royal Devotion, who was successful in the Listed Oyster Stakes.

Their Storm Cat half-sister Luxury is the dam of Japanese Group winners Shonan Mighty and Go For The Summit.

Jan Brueghel's second dam Alleged Devotion is an Alleged half-sister to Balanchine, a daughter of Storm Bird who earned her own place in racing's history books as Godolphin's first Classic winner to have wintered in Dubai. 

Bred by Robert Sangster's Swettenham Stud, she was acquired privately from her owner-breeder during her two-year-old season and went on to win the Oaks and then defeat King's Theatre in the Irish Derby.

Devoted To You has a yearling filly from the first crop of St Mark's Basilica who is catalogued in Book 1 of the upcoming Goffs Orby Sale.

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