Half-brothers Galileo (Ire) and Sea The Stars (Ire) each enjoyed a group winner Down Under on Saturday, with The Taj Mahal (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) defending his title in the G2 Zipping Classic and Fifty Stars (Ire) taking the G3 Sandown S.
The Taj Mahal, a full-brother to Gleneagles (Ire) and therefore out of the young blue hen mare You'resothrilling (Storm Cat), won just once in 18 starts when trained in Ireland by Aidan O'Brien but seems to have found his comfort zone in Australia. He finished fourth in last year's G1 Melbourne Cup and won this race on his first start for trainer Robert Hickmott before being transferred to Liam Howley upon Hickmott's resignation as Lloyd Williams's private trainer. The Taj Mahal won the G3 JRA Cup going a mile at Moonee Valley on Sept. 28. The 4-year-old breathed down the neck of pacesetter Dal Harraild (GB) (Champs Elysees {GB}) throughout and nosed out that brave rival in a photo finish.
The 4-year-old Fifty Stars (Ire), whose unraced dam Swizzle Stick (Ire) (Sadler's Wells) is a half-sister to dual group winner Viztoria (Ire) (Oratorio {Ire}), was earning his first black-type win as the favourite in the 1500 metre Sandown S., and taking his record to six for eight. He was a 110,000gns purchase by agent John Foote from breeder Airlie Stud, also the breeders of this year's champion 2-year-old filly Skitter Scatter (Scat Daddy), at Tattersalls October Book 2 last year and has raced only Down Under despite the age disadvantage-he is three by Northern Hemisphere standards, but races as a 4-year-old in the Southern Hemisphere. Foote is a regular visitor to Tattersalls October and this year bought six colts for an average of just under 75,000gns, including another Sea The Stars colt.
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