THE winners of the mile classics have not even been unsaddled before pundits are looking to the future and asking themselves, and others, the important questions the newly crowned champion must answer next.

The manner in which the Aidan O’Brien-trained Minding won the Group 1 Qipco 1000 Guineas Stakes at Newmarket was impressive and last year’s juvenile champion filly is by prolific champion sire Galileo (by Sadler’s Wells), but as was shown here last September, hers is a family that is about speed, and the likely scenario is that 10 furlongs is as far as her stamina will carry her.

Galileo also appears in the pedigree of the colt who won the Group 1 Qipco 2000 Guineas Stakes, but despite his name he is not a son of the Coolmore colossus and his ability to stay the trip at Epsom is arguably more in doubt than that of Minding.This year’s colts’ classic was contested by a talented bunch, almost all bred to be suited to around a mile, making it unlikely an Epsom hero emerges. The winner is out of a daughter of Galileo and comes from a branch of the family of the brilliant Montjeu (by Sadler’s Wells), but it is the first few generations of a horse’s pedigree that make the greatest impact on potential.

The Hugo Palmer-trained chesnut is also a notable bargain who was led out unsold at 7,500gns in Newmarket as a foal but made €33,000 at the Tattersalls Ireland September Yearling Sale 10 months later. He represents the second crop of Highclere Stud stallion Paco Boy (by Desert Style) and is the best of seven stakes winners, up to Monday night, for that star miler.

Paco Boy is by a leading sprint son of Green Desert (by Danzig), his other pattern winners are the Group 2 Flying Childers Stakes scorer Beacon (dam by Acclamation) and the Group 3 Horris Hill Stakes winner Smaih (by Black Sam Bellamy), and although his progeny also include the 10 furlong pattern-placed stakes winner Peacock, that colt is out of a 12-furlong winning Rainbow Quest (by Blushing Groom) mare from a family noted for its middle-distance and staying horses.

Galileo Gold was bred by Brian O’Rourke and is the first foal out of Galicuix, who showed little in two starts over 10 furlongs. Her half-brother Goldream emerged as one of the sprint starts of the season, taking the Group 3 Palace House Stakes, the Group 1 King’s Stand Stakes and the Group 1 Prix de l’Abbaye de Longchamp. Those contests are all over five furlongs, the gelding’s prior wins came over six, and his speed can probably be attributed to his sire and broodmare sire, Oasis Dream (by Green Desert) and Machiavellian (by Mr Prospector). His two-year-old Nathaniel (by Galileo) half-sister Nathalizia could stay middle-distances, it was reasonable to presume that Galicuix would stay too, and that she can produce at least one talented son or daughter effective in that division.

However, the combination of Paco Boy with Galicuix makes Galileo Gold doubtful to stay beyond 10 furlongs. Clizia, his unraced grandam, is out of unraced Cuixmala (by Highest Honor), making her a half-sister to the prolific 12-furlong stakes winner Mont Rocher (by Caerleon) and blacktype-placed Yayo (by Petit Loup), who also won over fences, but those two are by stallions who excelled over the Derby distance.

The fourth dam of Galileo Gold is Group 3 Prix de Lutece winner and Group 1 Prix Royal-Oak runner-up Floripedes (by Top Ville), dam of the mighty Montjeu, but when she was bred to dual Derby hero Kahyasi (by Ile De Bourbon) the result was Cumbres, the unraced dam of Again.

Like her distant relation Galileo Gold, Again represents a branch of the Danzig (by Northern Dancer) line that is often associated with speed, she was a notable seven furlong winner at two, and she was a classic-winning miler at three.The daughter of Danehill Dancer (by Danehill) was unplaced on her one attempt beyond a mile, and her son Indian Maharaja (by Galileo), who was an odds-on listed winner over seven furlongs as a juvenile, was well-beaten four times over middle-distances.

Galileo Gold is a classic hero who represents the Green Desert sire line and he comes from the family of Montjeu, factors that will ensure he gets plenty of attention when he eventually goes to stud. After Equinome gene test results, trainer Hugo Palmer decided on Thursday not to run the colt in the Derby and he will now take in the Tattersalls Irish 2000 Guineas and the St James Palace Stakes.