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4 Apr 2017

Light campaign for Galileo Gold

Galileo Gold Derby Twist

Hugo Palmer says Galileo Gold will have a lighter campaign this year and says he is likely to remain over a mile.

The four-year-old colt emerged as one of the leading lights in the QIPCO British Champions Series last year. In addition to his wins in the QIPCO 2000 Guineas and St James’s Palace Stakes, he split The Gurkha and Ribchester in the Qatar Sussex Stakes, which was one of the best races of the season.

His exploits seem to catch up with him, though, and he was below par in France and on QIPCO British Champions Day on his final two starts of the year.

“This year I think he will be campaigned more sparingly,” Palmer said. “We won’t rush to travel him and the obvious point to start is the Lockinge. The programme of Lockinge, Queen Anne, Sussex looks pretty obvious to start with.

“I can’t see any reason to try him further at the moment unless in his racing he starts to look like he needs further.

“If he gets beaten in the Lockinge and Frankie Dettori comes back in and said the horse has changed and that he wants a mile a quarter then we would run him in the Prince of Wales‘s and not the Queen Anne.”

He added: “He hasn’t grown, but he has developed and is more muscular. I’ve got no concerns about having him ready first time unless he changes as he is a lot more relaxed than he was.”

Palmer also has an Investec Derby contender in the shape of Royal Lodge winner Best Of Days.

He said: “Best Of Days is by Azamour and out of a mare that won a Listed race over a mile and a half.

“I think he is guaranteed to not only to stay but be at his best at a mile and a half, which is what we think we saw as a two-year-old.

“I think because he is a high-class horse he travels very well, and I think over a mile he struggles to have that turn of foot.

“He has been given a Guineas entry. It is often said the Guineas is a very good trial for the Derby. My feeling is that I’d prefer him to win a trial rather than finish sixth in a Guineas. He will be given a Dante entry.

“I like Lingfield, though, for the fact it’s a furlong further than York and the fact they have to come downhill.

“That’s my feeling where we will go with him.”