By Tom Frary
Following on from Sergei Diaghilev, Comanche Brave and Gstaad, Causeway (Wootton Bassett) wrapped up a Saturday four-timer for Ryan Moore in The Curragh's G3 Heider Family Stables Gallinule Stakes.
Having followed the same path as past Ballydoyle's Irish Guineas hero Paddington by winning the Madrid and Tetrarch, the relative of Magical and Rhododendron had to be diverted off it due to the presence of Gstaad in the day's feature. With the Classic already in the bag for the stable, the 5-6 favourite made it another day to remember on his first try over 10 furlongs, seeing off Zia Zabel (Ghaiyyath) by a head with Shaihaan (Night Of Thunder) two lengths back in third.
“He's a lovely horse, but lazy and will never win by far,” Aidan O'Brien said. “He's very genuine, sound and straightforward and will stay further, so he has a lot of options. He could go to Royal Ascot or come back for the Irish Derby. He's a hardy boy and he'll only ever do what he has to do. When the cheekpieces go back on, they will be a help to him too.”
41-111
Causeway is a tough nut to crack!
The Wootton Bassett colt makes it three from three this term under a strong Ryan Moore in the Group 3 Heider Family Stables Gallinule Stakes @curraghrace pic.twitter.com/seJ7025kb5
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) May 23, 2026
Pedigree Notes
Causeway hails from one of the finest families around, with his dam Heaven Of Heavens (Galileo) being a full-sister to the operation's brilliant multiple Group 1-winning Magical and Rhododendron. The latter went on to produce another great flagbearer for Coolmore in Auguste Rodin (Deep Impact), while Magical's daughter Ballet Slippers (Dubawi) was third in the Fillies' Mile.
Also responsible for last year's Irish Oaks third Island Hopping by Wootton Bassett, the dam is a granddaughter of the sprinting supremo Cassandra Go (Indian Ridge) who produced the Irish 1,000 Guineas, Sun Chariot and Nassau heroine Halfway To Heaven (Pivotal) and is the second dam of Galileo's Photo Call and the fellow top-level scorer Victoria Road (Saxon Warrior). Heaven Of Heavens's yearling colt is by Deep Impact's son Contrail.
Saturday, Curragh, Ireland
HEIDER FAMILY STABLES GALLINULE STAKES-G3, €70,000, Curragh, 5-23, 3yo, 10fT, 2:02.22, gd.
1–CAUSEWAY (IRE), 131, c, 3, by Wootton Bassett (GB)
1st Dam: Heaven Of Heavens (Ire), by Galileo (Ire)
2nd Dam: Halfway To Heaven (Ire), by Pivotal (GB)
3rd Dam: Cassandra Go (Ire), by Indian Ridge (Ire)
1ST GROUP WIN. O-Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith & Mrs John Magnier; B-Coolmore; T-Aidan O'Brien; J-Ryan Moore. €42,000. Lifetime Record: 5-4-0-0, $132,435. *Full to Island Hopping (Ire), G1SP-Ire. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Zia Zabel (Ire), 131, c, 3, Ghaiyyath (Ire)–Experte (Fr), by High Chaparral (Ire). 1ST BLACK TYPE; 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. (€200,000 Wlg '23 GOFNOF; 100,000gns Ylg '24 TATOCT). O-Peter Trainor; B-Noel Finegan; T-Natalia Lupini. €14,000.
3–Shaihaan (Ire), 131, c, 3, Night of Thunder (Ire)–Sea of Faith (Ire), by Sea The Stars (Ire). 1ST BLACK TYPE; 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. (180,000gns Ylg '24 TATOCT). O-Al Shaqab Racing; B-Sunderland Holdings Inc; T-Donnacha O'Brien. €7,000.
Margins: HD, 2, 3 1/4. Odds: 0.83, 12.00, 10.00.
Also Ran: Mr Vettori (Ire), South Island (Ire), Shosholoza (Ire), Amadeus Mozart (Ire), Alphecca (Ire), Drop Dead Gorgeous (Ire).
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