VICTORY for Ocean Road in the Grade 1 Gamely Stakes at Santa Anita last year took Australia’s tally of top-flight winners to five with his first four crops of racing age.

The son of Galileo (Sadler’s) had a breakthrough in 2020 when Galileo Chrome went through that season undefeated, culminating in victory over Berkshire Rocco, Pyledriver and Santiago in the 14-furlong Group 1 St Leger Stakes at Doncaster. Then Order Of Australia won the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Mile at Keeneland.

In 2021 Australia doubled his number of Group/Grade 1 winners when Mare Australis won the Prix Ganay (and added the Group 2 Grand Prix de Chantilly last year), while Broome, runner-up at this level in Ireland, France and the USA, was successful in the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud, and last year won the Group 2 Hardwicke Stakes at Royal Ascot.

Now Australia has compiled a hugely satisfactory record of five Group/Grade 1 winners, eight at the next level, four Group/Grade 3 winners and some 15 other stakes winners. Many of his stock have been placed at the highest level, and those who came closest to winning have been Sir Ron Priestly (2nd St Leger), Point Lonsdale (2nd National Stakes), Cayenne Pepper (2nd Irish Oaks and Pretty Polly Stakes), Sissoko (2nd Futurity Trophy Stakes) and Sydney Opera House (2nd Critérium de Saint-Cloud).

Australia beat Carla Bianca and Juniper Tree on his second start over seven furlongs at the Curragh at two, having finished second on his debut, and then staked his claims as a classic hope on Irish Champions Weekend when he beat Free Eagle to win a Group 3 over a mile at Leopardstown.

Sequence

Third to Night Of Thunder and Kingman in the Group 1 2000 Guineas, he then ran up a sequence of three Group 1 wins in succession, the Derby at Epsom, the Irish equivalent at the Curragh, and the Juddmonte International. The runner-up in the atter, The Grey Gatsby, gained revenged when reversing places in Australia’s swansong, the Group 1 Irish Champion Stakes.

As a son of the great Galileo, finding a place at stud was not a problem, and he had the additional attraction of being equally well-connected on the female side of his family. One of three stakes winners out of the dual Group 1 Oaks, dual Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup, prolific top-level star and European champion filly Ouija Board (Cape Cross), Australia comes from a top Group 1 family that has had notable winners across the full sprinter to stayer range. His grandam is a full-sister to leading international miler Teleprompter (Welsh Pageant),

Race record

AUSTRALIA (GB), Chesnut 2011. 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.

At stud

Retired to Stud in 2015, and sire of the winners of 492 races and £12,948,172, including OCEAN ROAD (IRE), BROOME (IRE), MARE AUSTRALIS (IRE), GALILEO CHROME (IRE), ORDER OF AUSTRALIA (IRE), NACHTROSE (IRE), BANGKOK (IRE), EPONA PLAYS (IRE), POINT LONSDALE (IRE), SIR RON PRIESTLEY (GB), CAYENNE PEPPER (IRE), LEO DE FURY (IRE), BEYOND REASON (IRE), TRANQUIL LADY (IRE), COUNTERPARTY RISK (IRE), BUCKHURST (IRE), PATRICK SARSFIELD (FR), ABHAYAA (IRE), CRYSTAL PEGASUS (GB), EARL OF TYRONE (IRE), GALASHIELS (IRE), KURAMATA (IRE), MOOMBA (IRE), MOONEY LOVE (IRE), ARRIVAL (IRE), FERNANDO VICHI (IRE), GOOLWA (IRE), SUGAR BEAT (IRE), KING CARNEY (GB), MOHICAN HEIGHTS (IRE), WESTERN AUSTRALIA (IRE), and LA AUSTRALIANA (USA)

Information

Stands at: Coolmore Stud, Fethard, Clonmel, Co. Tipperary, E91 XK26, Ireland

Contact: Christy Grassick, Maurice Moloney, Gerry Aherne, Jason Walsh, Mark Byrne, Neil Magee and Tom Harris

Telephone: +353 52 6131298

Email: sales@coolmore.ie

Web: www.coolmore.com

Fee: €25,000