ALMOST certain to be named as the champion three-year-old colt of 2014 in Europe from 10 to 12 furlongs, Australia was rated by his trainer Aidan O’Brien as one of the best horses that he has ever trained. His three victories last year came in the Epsom Derby, the Irish Derby and the Juddmonte International, all Group 1 events, and he had also won two of his three starts as a two-year-old. Never out of the first three in eight outings, he is standing his first season at Coolmore this year.

Bred by Lord Derby, Australia was bought for 525,000 guineas at the Newmarket October Book 1 Sale of 2012, the same price that Coolmore had also paid for Camelot two years earlier. One of only two Epsom Derby winners whose sire won the Derby and whose dam won the Oaks, Australia really does have an exceptional pedigree. He is the third Epsom Derby hero sired by the six times champion sire Galileo, who registered the same Derby double in 2001 and has already sired 177 blacktype winners.

Ouija Board, the dam of Australia, was a dual international champion who scored 10 times, seven of those in Group 1 races, among which were the Epsom and Irish Oaks, the Hong Kong Vase and two runnings of the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf.

A daughter of Cape Cross, her first four foals are all winners and in addition to Australia they include Voodoo Prince, a son of Kingmambo who scored in the Group 3 Easter Cup at Caulfield in Australia. The next dam, Selection Board, was own-sister to another dual champion, Teleprompter, whose 11 wins included the Grade 1 Arlington Million and the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot.

DERBY FAVOURITE

Australia was already the favourite for the Epsom Derby after his two-year-old campaign, when he was narrowly beaten into second place on his debut at the Curragh’s Irish Derby meeting. Three weeks later he comfortably won a maiden race over seven furlongs at the Curragh, beating 10 others, and then he ran away with the Group 3 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Trial over a mile at Leopardstown, finishing six lengths clear of the highly regarded Free Eagle.

Reappearing in the 2000 Guineas over a mile at Newmarket, Australia was one of a trio who drew well clear of the rest of the field, but he had to settle for third prize, very close behind Night Of Thunder and the champion miler Kingman. On the strength of that performance he was an 11/8 favourite for the Epsom Derby a month later and the result was never in doubt as Australia sailed clear to score by a length and a quarter from the subsequent St Leger winner Kingston Hill.

Going on to the Curragh for the Irish Derby three weeks later, it seemed likely to be just a stroll for Australia at odds of 1/8 and so it proved, as he cantered home two and a half lengths clear of his stablemate Kingfisher.

So far Australia had not raced against any older horses, but he was just as imperious in the Group 1 Juddmonte International Stakes over 10½ furlongs at York, coming home two lengths ahead of the French Derby hero The Grey Gatsby and the smart four-year-old Telescope.

However, in Australia’s final race, the Group 1 Irish Champion Stakes over 10 furlongs at Leopardstown, he was just caught in the last stride by The Grey Gatsby and beaten by a neck after a tremendous battle, with the overweight put up by Joseph O’Brien possibly making all the difference to the result.

Australia looks very good value at his fee of €50,000, as a dual Derby winner with a wonderful pedigree. One interesting feature of his pedigree is that two of his grandparents are Cape Cross and Urban Sea, the sire and dam of the mighty Sea The Stars, another dual Derby hero who has already made a tremendous impact at stud.

AUSTRALIA (GB)

Race record: Winner of five races, £2,132,168, at 2 and 3 years, from 7-12 furlongs, in Ireland and England, inc Epsom Derby, Epsom, Gr.1, Irish Derby, Curragh, Gr.1, Juddmonte International Stakes, York, Gr.1, and Breeders Cup Juvenile Turf Trial Stakes, Leopardstown, Gr.3; 2nd in Irish Champion Stakes, Leopardstown, Gr.1; 3rd in 2000 Guineas Stakes, Newmarket, Gr.1.

Stud record: Retires to stud in 2015.

Stands at: Coolmore Stud, Fethard, Clonmel, Co Tipperary. Enquiries to 052 6131298, or visit www.coolmore.com.

Fee: €50,000 (October 1st Live Foal)

COOLMORE STUD

COOLMORE’S impressive list of 28 stallions for the 2015 stud season gives good reason for their belief that the supremacy of their sires can continue for many years to come. Once again, they had the champion sire in Britain and Ireland in 2014, with Galileo in pride of place for the sixth time. It was the 25th consecutive year that the champion sire had stood at Coolmore. The leading second crop sire in Britain and Ireland was another Coolmore stallion, Mastercraftsman. There will be five newcomers starting their stud careers at Coolmore in 2015, the last two Epsom Derby heroes Australia and Ruler Of The World, also three Group 1-winning two-year-olds, Kingsbarns, No Nay Never and War Command, all rated very close to the top of their respective generations at that age.