It was another 1-2 for super-sire Galileo in today’s Group One Juddmonte International at York with the Sir Michael Stoute trained four year old Ulysses getting the better of Aidan O’Brien’s dual 2,000 Guineas winner Churchill by two lengths. Barney Roy was a further neck back in third.
In the early part of the race it was the three year olds who were to the fore, with Cliffs Of Moher making the ahead of Churchill and Barney Roy. Jockey Jim Crowley, who had enjoyed success in the Group One Eclipse Stakes on Ulysses earlier in the summer, was content to sit further back. In the home straight Barney Roy and Churchill were sent on quite early and a real battle was developing between them but, in behind, Crowley had made smooth headway on Ulysses and approaching the final furlong he took it up and quickly asserted to win with a bit in hand.
It was a record-breaking sixth win in the race for Sir Michael Stoute, who nominated a Breeders Cup tilt as the ultimate target for Ulysses this season, the colt having now earned himself a bit of a break according to the trainer. Stoute, who has excelled time after time with progressive older horses, has won the Breeders Cup Turf four times and that race will be the target.
Stoute was full of praise for his winner as he looked back on the race: “It all just went so smoothly. There was never a blip. I think that was his best performance to date.”
The runner-up Churchill was on the comeback trail after a disappointing run at Royal ascot and O’Brien was happy that his colt had put up a better effort over this longer trip on the back of a break. “He didn’t wilt and he left that Ascot run behind” said O’Brien who is considering a run in the Irish Champion Stakes for his dual classic winner’s next race.
Ulysses registered the 139th individual Group One success for Galileo progeny and is now the 27th individual sired by Coolmore’s stellar stallion to have amassed more than a million pounds in prize money on the track.