GALILEO (by Sadler’s Wells) has a double-digit tally of sons who have sired at least one top-level winner of their own, and Australia looks sure to add his name to that list before long. Several have achieved the feat in the southern hemisphere, but the standouts are Frankel, New Approach, and Teofilo, each of whom has sired at least one classic winner among their Group 1 stars.
Australia had a lot of runners in 2018, which was a bit of a surprise given his racing and pedigree profile, but 17 of those juveniles won, three of them were Group 1-placed, and he got off the mark as a sire of stakes winners thanks to his daughter Beyond Reason.
That Charlie Appleby-trained bay won a maiden by four lengths over six furlongs at Kempton in early June, was fourth in the Listed Chesham Stakes over seven at Royal Ascot, and then won the Group 3 Prix Six Perfections and Group 2 Shadwell Prix du Calvados at Deauville, both also over seven. It would not be a surprise to see this Irish 1000 Guineas entrant carry the famous Godolphin colours to further pattern success in 2019.
The Group 1-placed trio are all trained by Aidan O’Brien. Broome chased home Madhmoon in the Group 2 juvenile race at Leopardstown on Irish Champions’ Weekend before failing by a neck to beat Royal Marine in the Group 1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere at ParisLongchamp in October, both over a mile.
Sydney Opera House’s Group 2 placing was to Mohawk in the Royal Lodge Stakes at Newmarket, and he too was a neck runner-up in his Group 1 try, to Wonderment in the 10-furlong Criterium de Saint-Cloud. Western Australia was a one-length third to Magna Grecia in the Group 1 Vertem Futurity Trophy Stakes at Doncaster.
All three of those colts hold entries in the Tattersalls Irish 2000 Guineas, Investec Derby and Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby. Australia beat subsequent dual Group 3 winner Carla Bianca in a seven-furlong maiden at the Curragh before shocking Free Eagle with a six-length score at Leopardstown on Irish Champions’ Weekend, the race then carrying Group 3 status. However, his dual Derby-winning three-year-old campaign was what he was bred to do.
He is the best of three stakes winners out of the multiple champion Ouija Board (by Cape Cross), the dual Oaks and dual Breeders’ Cup star who won seven Group/Grade 1s. Her dam was a full-sister to Teleprompter (by Welsh Pageant). It’s the family of Group 1 stars Ibn Bey (by Mill Reef) and Roseate Tern (by Blakeney), and so talented three-year-olds and older horses are what you would expect Australia to get, especially when they go beyond a mile.
AUSTRALIA (GB). Jt Champion 3yr old colt in Europe in 2014. Won five races, £2,090,502, from 7 furlongs to 1½ miles, at 2 and 3 years including, Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby, Curragh, Gr.1, Investec Derby Stakes, Epsom Downs, Gr.1, Juddmonte International Stakes, York, Gr.1, ICON Juv.Turf Trial Golden Fleece Stakes, Leopardstown, Gr.3, also placed second in QIPCO Irish Champion Stakes, Leopardstown, Gr.1, and third in Qipco 2000 Guineas Stakes, Newmarket, Gr.1.
Retired to Stud in 2015, and sire of the winners of 20 races, and £495,618, including BEYOND REASON, Broome, Sydney Opera House and Western Australia
Stands at: Coolmore Stud, Fethard, Co Tipperary, Ireland.
Contact: Christy Grassick, David O’Loughlin, Eddie Fitzpatrick, Tim Corballis, Maurice Moloney, Gerry Aherne, Neil Magee, Tom Miller, or Jason Walsh
Telephone: +353 (0)52 6131298
Email: sales@coolmore.ie
Web: www.coolmore.com
Fee: €35,000