St Leger winner Galileo Chrome retired to stand as a National Hunt stallion

The Irish challenger’s win at Doncaster, coming out on top in a three-way finish, was the culmination of a season which saw Galileo Chrome win all four races,

It saw O’Brien become the first person since Harry Wragg in the 1930s to ride and train a Leger win – his success in the saddle came courtesy of his father Aidan’s Leading Light in the 2013.

Just as significantly, the victory was a coming of age win for Tom Marquand, one of the jockeys of 2020, who then went on to partner the globetrotting Addeybb to victory in the Champion Stakes at Ascot.

Marquand was a last minute call-up for Galileo Chrome after regular rider Shane Crosse tested positive for Covid-19 before making the journey to Doncaster.

Galileo Chrome was sired by the colt Australia whose successes included the 2014 Juddmonte International at York.

O’Brien said: “Australia was one of the best I rode and Galileo Chrome is easily one of the best I’ve trained.

“Unbeaten this year culminating in the St Leger, I think he could have been the leading middle-distance horse in Europe next year.

“However, fortunately for breeders, he retires to stud and offers an opportunity to use a top-class racehorse. He’s a beautiful looking individual with all the qualities I look for. I could not recommend him enough and look forward to training his offspring.”

Michael Orlandi, who manages the Compas Stallions who stand at his Starfield Stud in Mullingar, County Westmeath, said: “A tall, scopey, athletic individual with a fantastic walk, Galileo Chrome was one of the best three-year-olds in training this year.

“A great physical specimen, with a star-studded pedigree, he is everything that National Hunt breeders look for in a stallion.”

Meanwhile Ryan Moore believes Magical, trained by O’Brien senior, is capable of notching up her eighth Group One success in Sunday’s Longines Hong Kong Cup at Sha Tin.

Former O’Brien-trained runners Highland Reel, Yeats, Minding and Rock Of Gibraltar all claimed seven top-level successes, but Magical could raise the bar for the Ballydoyle handler if she triumphs in this 10-furlong feature.

Runner up to the now retired Ghaiyyath in this summer’s Juddmonte, Magical added both the Tattersalls Gold Cup and Irish Champion Stakes to her tally this term and was last seen chasing home Tarnawa in the Breeders’ Cup Turf last month.

While Moore believes she is the one to beat, he is wary of the Japanese-trained challenge as well as home hope Furore, who has won his last two outings.

Moore said: “She’s been great for a long time and it’s fantastic that she’s here. She’s won seven Group Ones. The reality is they probably have her to beat, but again you always respect the horses that are in there. There’s three smart Japanese horses in there that have all won Group Ones. It’s a small field, but there’s not a bad one in there, I don’t think.”

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