GALILEO and PIVOTAL battle for 'Leading Sire in Europe' Honours
Monday, June 9, 2008 at 03:01AM 
Galileo with Mick Kinane aboard
(Julien Herbert/Allsport)
Irish-based stallions are, as usual, dominating the Table of Leading Sires in Europe in 2008, with five of the top eight resident in the Emerald Isle.
The surprise package of the current list is Haras de Victot’s third-placed Chichicastenango, whose son Vision d’Etat retained his unbeaten record in Sunday’s Gr.1 Prix du Jockey-Club.
The grey is a not a one-horse sire though, and is responsible for the Gr.3 winners Chichi Creasy and Chinandega from his first crop. Galileo currently heads the list, the dual Derby winner’s son Cima de Triomphe having accounted for almost a third of his sire’s earnings to date with his victory in the Gr.1 Derby Italiano.
Second overall, and leading on win money only, is Cheveley Park Stud’s Pivotal, responsible for three individual Classic winners, Falco, Halfway to Heaven and Briseida, in the space of three weeks.
The other British-based sire near the top is Juddmonte’s fourth-placed Son of Danehill, Dansili. His biggest earner to date is the Jockey-Club runner-up Famous Name.
The Coolmore trio of Montjeu, the now retired Sadler’s Wells and Danehill Dancer fill the next three places followed by Verglas, whose first Irish National Stud-conceived crop is two.
Footnote : Summerhill’s November Ready To Run offering includes three Galileos, all spectacularly bred animals of considerable paddock potential.
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