Alpha Centauri Will Visit Galileo

[Wandering Eyes]

MG1SW Alpha Centauri (Ire) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}-Alpha Lupi {Ire}, by Rahy) will visit Coolmore’s Derby hero and multiple champion sire Galileo (Ire) this spring, Niarchos racing manager Alan Cooper confirmed to the Racing Post. The lanky grey filly rolled through four consecutive Group 1 victories last spring and summer beginning in the Irish 1000 Guineas, followed by the Coronation S., the Falmouth S. and finally the Prix Jacques Le Marois. Her Flaxman colours were finally lowered by the tough-as-nails MG1SW Laurens (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}) when she ran 3/4s of a length second in the G1 Matron S. and sustained a chipped right front fetlock in the process.

“She is absolutely sound now and appears to be enjoying the transition from a filly in training to the paddocks,” Cooper told Racing Post. “Galileo fits the bill for her. And of course it’s also the Galileo–Danehill cross.”

The ‘TDN Rising Star’, who was trained by Jessica Harrington, is a half-sister to Irish SW and English MGSP Tenth Star (Ire) (Dansili {GB}). Her second dam, the dual French Classic heroine East of the Moon (Private Account) is a daughter of the legendary Flaxman bluehen Miesque (Nureyev), and a two-time winner of the GI Breeders’ Cup Mile. Miesque produced French Classic hero and successful sire Kingmambo to the cover of Mr. Prospector and this is also the family of GI Breeders’ Cup Mile winner Karakontie (Jpn) (Bernstein), UAE Group 1 winner Real Steel (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) and G1 Prix du Jockey Club victor Study of Man (Ire) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) among many other high-class descendants. The resulting foal will carry the exceptional Galileo-Danehill cross, but there are also three Group 1 winners out of Mastercraftsman’s sire Danehill Dancer (Ire) (Danehill) to date: Irish/English highweight and Classic hero The Gurkha (Ire), MG1SW Alice Springs (Ire), and multiple champion Minding (Ire), responsible for 12 top-level victories between them.

View the full article