Two years after breaking the record for the number of first-class champions in Danshan, the "Astronomer" (Galileo) broke the record for the number of heirs in the championship of "Danshan".
At yesterday's Chester race, the "astronomer" had two heirs who tasted the championship victory for the first time, rewriting the number of its championship heirs to 349.
Before yesterday, the number of championship champions of the "Astronomer" and the "Danshan" were both 347.
"Astronomer" image from Coolmore
Two years ago, at the Irish 1,000 Kenny Competition, the "astronomer" surpassed the historical record of 84 first-class champion heirs in "Danshan" with his daughter's "peace of mind" victory and became the stallion with the largest number of first-class champion heirs in the history of global horse racing. Now, the number of its first-class champions has reached 92. Of the 92 first-class champions, 5 have won the English derby. The "astronomer" passed away last July at the age of 23.
How good are "astronomers"?!
The "astronomer" has been called the "lone wolf" of the European stallion industry, the "King of the European Stallion" in 2010-2020. It has 91 direct heirs who have run out of the international first division championship, and its descendants have 20 paternal lines that have become first class champions. The most famous of these is The Undefeated Horse King of Europe, Frankel! It has been said that "the 'astronomer' is the eternal legacy of the development of the human thoroughbred horse".
"Astronomer" image from Kulmer Breeding Farm
Best of all, the 2019 British Yesen Derby (the birthplace of the World Derby) is entirely a race of the "astronomer" family. 13 Mali 12 were the sons or grandsons of the "astronomer". The only one who is not is still the grandson of an "astronomer".
The International Federation of Horse Racing Organizations published the Longines Global Horse Year-end Rankings, and it is often the descendants of "astronomers" who are at the top of the list, such as "Van Goyle" in 2012 with 140 points, and the 2020 World Horse King "Fait accompli" (Ghaiyyath) topped the list with 130 points...
"Van Goyle" image from Twitter
This also explains the bloodline composition theory of "the son is honored by the father, and the father borrows the son is precious" in the horse racing kingdom.
The world of horse racing is very focused on lineage, because pedigree is one of the best bases used to predict a horse's performance on the field. Having a well-bred foal is almost every horse owner's dream. The earth-shattering passion of the ancestors ran through the veins of the descendants, inspiring them to run hard, striving for high prizes and honors. After the ponies who have performed well on the field are converted to stallions, the performance of the descendants is usually in the spotlight.
We know that in traditional Western horse racing countries, the trade in thoroughbred horses is rarely carried out through auctions and private transactions, and even through private transactions, the price of horses is usually kept secret. The price disclosure of horses through auction is considered fair and fair by industry insiders.
In recent years, the number one stallion of the Kulmer Breeding Farm has been the "Astronomer" (Galileo), considered the world's highest mating fee master, and its mating fee will be "private" for several years. According to Wikipedia, we only know that in 2008 the astronomer's mating fee was 2.77 million yuan, after which it was basically a private transaction, and the price was kept secret. We know that the highest auction price of the descendants of "astronomers" is 13.89 million yuan, and the average auction price is about 2.01 million yuan, 19 years later, I believe that its mating fee has now climbed to an unimaginable peak.
"Astronomer" image from Kulmer Breeding Farm
Among the brothers of the "astronomer", Hong Kong's best long-distance horse "Blazing Speed" has played 44 times after coming to Hong Kong, winning 8 championships, 8 asian and 4 seasons, with a ranking rate of nearly half, and is one of the most representative horses in Hong Kong in recent years. AU Revoir, a subsidiary of Shanxi Yulong Horse Industry, is also a foreign brother of the "astronomer".
"AU Revoir" image courtesy of Jade Dragon Horse Industry