Coolmore Sires Trifecta Spring Stakes

17th September 2008

The Group Three Spring Stakes at Newcastle is often a good guide for the future and on Wednesday we saw the Sheikh Mohammed owned Sousa (3c Galileo x Liberty Song, by Last Tycoon) step right up to the mark and score a tenacious win.

The Peter Snowden trained Sousa raced handy all the way in his first attempt at 1600 metres and after racing to the lead in the straight held off a determined late challenge from the unlucky Rhyno Chaser (3c Catcher in the Rye x Surfari, by Imperial Prince) to win by a short head with a further neck away to Back Off (3c Danehill Dancer x Miss Alabama, by Woodman).

Fifth against the older horses when resuming from a spell in a race won by Ashikaga on August 16, Sousa is a lightly raced improver with two wins from five starts and $140,000 in prizemoney.

Purchased by Woodlands Stud for $420,000 at the 2007 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale, Sousa was the most expensive yearling sired by Galileo to sell in the Southern Hemisphere that year.

A New Zealand bred son of Coolmore based Galileo offered by Trelawney Stud, Sousa is a half-brother to Irish stakes-winner Smuggler’s Song being from the Last Tycoon mare Liberty Song.

Galileo is currently the number one sire in Europe and the last of his Australian bred offspring will be offered at yearling sales in 2009.