Seville win written in the stars?

10 years on from Galileo's exceptional Derby triumph Coolmore's star stallion could mark the anniversary with a win from one of his sons.

Super sire Galileo going for another Classic

10 years on from Galileo's exceptional Derby triumph Coolmore's shining star of the bloodstock world could mark the anniversary with a win from one of his sons...

When Galileo stormed home by three and a half lengths to land the 2001 Epsom Derby it was a first success in the race for trainer Aidan O'Brien, a first success in the race for Coolmore axis Mrs Susan Magnier/Michael Tabor, and, more remarkably, a first success in the race for the recently deceased super stallion Sadler's Wells.

O'Brien, Magnier/Tabor and Sadler's Wells doubled their tally the following year when High Chaparral won but that double in the early noughties didn't spark a period of Coolmore dominance in the race and nine years have now passed since the world's largest breeding operation of thoroughbred racehorses won the iconic Blue Riband of the turf.

It's hardly been a decade of failure for Coolmore since High Chaparral emerged victorious from that Derby tussle with stablemate Hawk Wing - far from it. Oaks and Guineas and Cups and countless Royal Ascot victories and King Georges and Irish Derbys and Eclipses and an Arc have gone their way since then but the one they want, the one race they strive for more than any other, is the Derby.

Class

Galileo glided around Epsom for his Derby success, displaying beautiful balance and class that have been traits of his very best sons and daughters. Left and right, uphill and downhill, coping with the cambers - Galileo roared through his Derby like a Rolls Royce before putting the race to bed with a turn of foot associated with only the brilliant.

His success, along with High Chaparral's, provided the bedrock for Coolmore's bloodstock operation in Ireland and their two Derby-winning stallions are always at the heart of their publicity drives. But if there was any doubt as to who is the world's best sire then surely Galileo has put such a debate to bed thanks to the success of his progeny in 2011.

Frankel, Roderic O'Connor, Golden Lilac and Misty For Me are all Guineas winners by Galileo and their success has seen their old man top the leading Flat racing sire list so far this season by over £500,000 based on total prize-money. Champion sire in 2008 and 2010, we're not even halfway through the year yet but he looks sure to top the list again come the end of 2011.

Derby hopes

Following the 2,000 Guineas his superstar son Frankel was made a very short-price favourite for the Derby but the maternal side of his pedigree has never screamed a mile and a half and the way he won at Newmarket abolished the idea of Epsom once and for all.

Yet Galileo could still be triple-handed on the Downs with Dante runner-up Seville and Chester Vase one-two Treasure Beach and Nathaniel all on course for Britain's richest race. The latter is trained by John Gosden, with Seville and Treasure Beach the latest pair to be unleashed by O'Brien set with the task of becoming a Derby-winning son of Galileo representing Ballydoyle.

Galileo has already sired an Epsom Derby winner in the shape of New Approach for Jim Bolger in 2008, but a decade on from his own success that catapulted modern Coolmore's bloodstock empire into even higher stratospheres one of his sons could provide a timely boost for the operation by ending the nine-year drought since High Chaparral's 2002 victory.

Seville

Seville is five times more likely to win the Derby than Treasure Beach according to the bookmakers and that is a fair enough assessment on the formbook. While Treasure Beach undoubtedly improved for the step up in trip to a mile and a half in the Chester Vase his head defeat of Nathaniel leaves him some way short of the standard set by ante-post favourite Carlton House.

The Queen's horse heads the betting on the back of his one and a half length defeat of Seville in the Dante Stakes at York and though 95 colts have been defeated in that race on the Knavesmire as well as coming up short at Epsom, Workforce proved last year that losers from the great trial in North Yorkshire can bounce back in the big one.

Christophe Soumillon rode Seville in the Dante with the specific aim of learning about the horse ahead of Epsom and a one and a half length deficit is not an unbridgeable chasm if the jockey learns from his mistakes. Seville has a lazy racing style but his strength is his stamina and while it wasn't used to full effect at York it could well be the difference on Derby day at Epsom.

Story

There's a great story behind most Derby winners and you won't have to dig deep to find this year's. Carlton House could do it for the Queen in a Royal Wedding year, Kieren Fallon could've chosen right with Recital - or wrong if Native Khan prevails, while the great French trainer Andre Fabre could win it for the first time with Pour Moi. (Recital and Pour Moi, of course, also represent Coolmore.)

But if it's Seville that ends O'Brien's losing streak, a stretch of time that is only nine years but has seen 35 horses from Ballydoyle try and fail on the Downs, then it will be that shining star of the bloodstock world, Galileo, who will be a huge part of the story. For it will be the fifth Classic victory of the season from one of his progeny, or, perhaps even sixth if Misty For Me lands the Oaks the previous day...