One of the star Coolmore mares that will be covered this spring in Australia by St Mark’s Basilica (Fr) is Fastnet Rock’s Group I MRC Thousand Guineas winning daughter Amicus and she produced a promising two year-old winner by Galileo at Leopardstown in Ireland overnight.
Trained by Chris Waller, Amicus was bred by Makybe and purchased by her trainer for $500,000 at the 2013 Magic Millions Yearling Sale. A filly with a big pedigree being from a half-sister to Starspangledbanner, she was a star on the track scoring multiple Group wins to go with her Thousand Guineas victory and after being acquired by Coolmore started her stud career in Ireland.
She produced five consecutive foals by Galileo with the first of them being stakes-placed Okita Soushi, who won a handicap race at Royal Ascot this year and her two year-old colt Chief Little Rock opened his account last night in a 1m maiden at Leopardstown.
Ridden by Ryan Moore and trained by Aidan O’Brien, Chief Little Rock was second on debut over the same course and distance last month and improved to score a half length win as favourite.
He holds entries for several upcoming Group races and is the second winner from two to race for Amicus, who has another yearling colt by Galileo in Ireland to follow.
She arrived back in Australia this year after being covered by Frankel and is expected to be covered by St Mark’s Basilica this spring.