Galileo’s Kew Gardens Is the Leger Hero

[Wandering Eyes]

   It may have been a quiet 2018 for Aidan O’Brien’s Ballydoyle stable by last year’s exalted standards, but Kew Gardens (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) stepped up on Doncaster’s Town Moor to provide the establishment with a third British Classic on Saturday as he punished his rivals with an ideal combination of staying power and speed in the G1 William Hill St Leger. Settled in mid-division early by Ryan Moore, the 3-1 second favourite made up his ground between the three and the two and after mastering stablemate Southern France (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) really hit his stride as Lah Ti Dar (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) chased hard. Always too far away from that 7-4 favourite, the G1 Grand Prix de Paris hero was the emphatic 2 1/4-length winner in the end as the class duo pulled 4 1/2 lengths away from Southern France in third. “You couldn’t fault him today, when he went forward it was all over in a flash,” Derrick Smith commented. “He’d be better on better ground–on fast he’d be a handful. He’s always looked a Leger type, but he does have plenty of pace so he has lots of options. Obviously, something was wrong with them this year but that’s life–it happens to everybody.”

1–KEW GARDENS (IRE), 127, c, 3, by Galileo (Ire)
1st Dam: Chelsea Rose (Ire) (Hwt. 3yo Filly-Ire at 9.5-10.5f, G1SW-Ire & G1SP-Ity, $527,260), by Desert King (Ire)
2nd Dam: Cinnamon Rose, by Trempolino
3rd Dam: Sweet Simone (Fr), by Green Dancer
O-Derrick Smith, Susan Magnier & Michael Tabor; B-Barronstown Stud (IRE); T-Aidan O’Brien; J-Ryan Moore. £421,355. Lifetime Record: G1SW-Fr & GSP-Ire, 12-5-2-2, £924,593. *1/2 to Thawaany (Ire) (Tamayuz {GB}), GSW & G1SP-Fr, $262,616; and Hamlool (Ire) (Red Ransom), SP-Eng.

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