Aidan O’Brien had a strong hand in the Group I Irish Oaks (1m 4f) at The Curragh overnight with the race favourite Savethelastdance finding a soft track and conditions to suit to become the 98th Group I winner for legendary sire Galileo.
Savethelastdance won the Listed Cheshire Oaks in May by a dazzling 22 lengths earning favouritism for the Group I Epsom Oaks, but a firm track that day saw her beaten by Soul Sister into second place.
Stepping out for the first time since then, she settled off the pace for Ryan Moore and was strong to the line to beat the Juddmont Farm’s homebred Camelot filly Bluestocking by half a length with another Galileo filly Library in third place. Warm Heart, the Galileo filly from Australian triple Group I winner Sea Siren, did not relish the soft ground and finished fifth.
“It's a long time since Savethedance ran in the Oaks and she had a break after Epsom too. Obviously we knew this was her first run back for an autumn campaign. She's a big relaxed filly and the ground was way different than what she ran on the last time,” said Aidan O’Brien.
“The lads were delighted with her at home, she was thriving and doing great. Ryan gave her a brilliant ride, he re-motivated her. When she was in a little bit of trouble he kept her coming forward without panicking and got her out, then he asked her to come again.”
Raced by the Coolmore partners, Savethelastdance has three wins and a second from five starts and is the first winner for Scat Daddy mare Daddys Lil Darling, who won five races highlighted by the Group I Santa Anita Oaks and was also second in the Group I Kentucky Oaks.
Daddy Lil Darling is a half-sister to Group I Breeders Cup Turf Sprint winner Mongolian Saturday from stakes-winner Miss Hot Salsa, whose next two dams are also US stakes-winners.
She is the first stakes-winner for Galileo from a daughter of Scat Daddy, although we are starting to see quite of interaction between these bloodlines with Scat Daddy line sires such as No Nay Never, Justify, Caravaggio and Sioux Nation all producing stakes-winners bred from Galileo line mares.
Justify’s boom two year-old colt City of Troy is also bred this way being from champion Galileo filly Together Forever.
