Galilee (horse)
Encyclopedia
Galilee, was a bay Thoroughbred
gelding who was foaled in 1963 at Trelawney Stud
, Cambridge, New Zealand
. He later became one of the most successful racehorses in Australia
. Galilee was sired by the very good racehorse and sire, Alcimedes*, from the mare Galston by Balloch*. He was purchased (and later trained) by champion trainer Bart Cummings
for £3,780 in New Zealand
.
Galilee was the first and is still the only horse to win the Caulfield, Melbourne and Sydney Cup
s in one season. Galilee was owned by an Adelaide
builder, Max Bailey and his wife Venice, who also raced Ziema, who ran second in the 1965 Caulfield and Melbourne Cups.
Ridden by jockey
J. J. Miller
, in the Sydney Cup
he carried 9 stone 7 pounds (60.5 kg) to victory and won the race easily by six lengths, whilst in the Melbourne Cup
he decisively defeated his stablemate Light Fingers
, who had won the cup the previous year.
The champion racehorse also easily won such races as the Queen Elizabeth Stakes, the Toorak Handicap
and the C.B. Fisher Plate, in which he defeated champion middle distance horse Tobin Bronze
.
Bart Cummings has often referred to Galilee as the best horse he has trained and it was not until Saintly
, who won the Cox Plate-Melbourne Cup double in 1996, came along were comparisons made.
Galilee was inducted into the Australian Racing Hall of Fame
.
Prizemoney - A$169,970
After retirement Galilee spent his years at the family horse stud, Beaufields near Gawler, South Australia
.
He is buried at the Gawler Racetrack in South Australia
.
Thoroughbred
The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word thoroughbred is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed...
gelding who was foaled in 1963 at Trelawney Stud
Trelawney Stud
Trelawney Stud is New Zealand’s oldest commercial Thoroughbred horse stud farm. It was established in 1930 by Seton Otway near Cambridge, New Zealand. It has a number of top quality stallions including Carnegie ....
, Cambridge, New Zealand
Cambridge, New Zealand
Cambridge is a town in the Waikato region of the North Island of New Zealand. Situated 24 kilometres southeast of Hamilton, on the banks of the Waikato River, Cambridge is known as "The Town of Trees & Champions".In the 1840s Cambridge had a Maori population but in the 1850's missionaries and...
. He later became one of the most successful racehorses in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. Galilee was sired by the very good racehorse and sire, Alcimedes*, from the mare Galston by Balloch*. He was purchased (and later trained) by champion trainer Bart Cummings
Bart Cummings
James Bartholomew 'Bart' Cummings, AM is one of the most successful Australian racehorse trainers. He is known as the Cups King, referring to the Melbourne Cup, as the he has won the 'race that stops a nation' a record 12 times....
for £3,780 in New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
.
Galilee was the first and is still the only horse to win the Caulfield, Melbourne and Sydney Cup
Sydney Cup
The Sydney Cup is an Australian horse race, held for Thoroughbred horses and run over 3200 metres. It is run every year at Randwick Racecourse in Sydney, New South Wales in April/May...
s in one season. Galilee was owned by an Adelaide
Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
builder, Max Bailey and his wife Venice, who also raced Ziema, who ran second in the 1965 Caulfield and Melbourne Cups.
Ridden by jockey
Jockey
A jockey is an athlete who rides horses in horse racing or steeplechase racing, primarily as a profession. The word also applies to camel riders in camel racing.-Etymology:...
J. J. Miller
J. J. Miller
John Miller is a former champion jockey and horse trainer. Miller rode more than 2200 winners in a career which started with his first win after just six races in 1947. He rode his last race in 1988 and then went on to a successful career as a trainer...
, in the Sydney Cup
Sydney Cup
The Sydney Cup is an Australian horse race, held for Thoroughbred horses and run over 3200 metres. It is run every year at Randwick Racecourse in Sydney, New South Wales in April/May...
he carried 9 stone 7 pounds (60.5 kg) to victory and won the race easily by six lengths, whilst in the Melbourne Cup
Melbourne Cup
The Melbourne Cup is Australia's major Thoroughbred horse race. Marketed as "the race that stops a nation", it is a 3,200 metre race for three-year-olds and over. It is the richest "two-mile" handicap in the world, and one of the richest turf races...
he decisively defeated his stablemate Light Fingers
Light Fingers
Light Fingers was a New Zealand bred thoroughbred racehorse who won the Melbourne Cup in 1965.The lightly built chestnut was by the highly successful sire of stayers, Le Filou, from Cuddlesome by Red Mars , by Hyperion...
, who had won the cup the previous year.
The champion racehorse also easily won such races as the Queen Elizabeth Stakes, the Toorak Handicap
Toorak Handicap
The Toorak Handicap is a 1600 metre Australian open handicap race for Thoroughbred horses aged three-years-old and upwards run at Caulfield Racecourse in Melbourne. The race takes place in early October as part of the Spring Racing Carnival in conjunction with the Caulfield Cup...
and the C.B. Fisher Plate, in which he defeated champion middle distance horse Tobin Bronze
Tobin Bronze
Tobin Bronze was an Australian Thoroughbred Hall of Fame racehorse who competed with great success during the 1960's.A chestnut son of Arctic Explorer from the Masthead mare Amarco he proved to be a crowd favourite due to his stunning good looks and winning 24 of his 44 Australian race starts.His...
.
Bart Cummings has often referred to Galilee as the best horse he has trained and it was not until Saintly
Saintly
Saintly was an Australian Thoroughbred racehorse who was named Australia's champion racehorse in 1997. A giant chestnut gelding by Sky Chase out of All Grace , he was bred by his trainer, Bart Cummings, who owned him in partnership with a Malaysian businessman, Dato Tan Chin Nam.Saintly gained...
, who won the Cox Plate-Melbourne Cup double in 1996, came along were comparisons made.
Galilee was inducted into the Australian Racing Hall of Fame
Australian Racing Hall of Fame
The Australian Racing Hall of Fame is part of the Australian Racing Museum which documents and honours the horseracing legends of Australia. The museum officially opened in 1981 and created the Hall of Fame in 2000....
.
Race Record
36 starts - 18 wins, 6 seconds, 4 thirds; 8 times unplaced.Prizemoney - A$169,970
Major Wins
Galilee won the following major races:- 1966 VATC Toorak HandicapToorak HandicapThe Toorak Handicap is a 1600 metre Australian open handicap race for Thoroughbred horses aged three-years-old and upwards run at Caulfield Racecourse in Melbourne. The race takes place in early October as part of the Spring Racing Carnival in conjunction with the Caulfield Cup...
- 1966 VATC Caulfield CupCaulfield CupThe Caulfield Cup, one of Australia's richest Thoroughbred horse races and the richest of its type in the world is held annually by the Melbourne Racing Club. The race is a handicap like the Melbourne Cup, which means that horses that compete in the Caulfield Cup are capable of running on the...
- 1966 VRCVRCVRC is a three-letter abbreviation with multiple meanings, as described below:*Vaccine Research Center*Vancouver Rowing Club, formed in 1886*Vertical redundancy check*Veteran Reserve Corps*Victoria Racing Club...
Melbourne CupMelbourne CupThe Melbourne Cup is Australia's major Thoroughbred horse race. Marketed as "the race that stops a nation", it is a 3,200 metre race for three-year-olds and over. It is the richest "two-mile" handicap in the world, and one of the richest turf races... - 1966 VRC Fisher Plate
- 1967 VRC Queens Plate
- 1967 VRC Queen Elizabeth StakesVRC Queen Elizabeth StakesThe VRC Queen Elizabeth Stakes is a Victoria Racing Club Group 3 Australian Thoroughbred horse race for horses aged three years old and over, under open handicap conditions, over a distance of 2500 metres.It is held at Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne....
- 1967 AJC Autumn Stakes
- 1967 AJC Sydney CupSydney CupThe Sydney Cup is an Australian horse race, held for Thoroughbred horses and run over 3200 metres. It is run every year at Randwick Racecourse in Sydney, New South Wales in April/May...
- 1968 VATC Memsie StakesMemsie StakesThe Memsie Stakes is a Group 2 weight-for-age Thoroughbred horse race run at Caulfield Racecourse over 1,400 metres . The total prizemoney for the race is A$201,000...
- 1968 VRC Turnbull StakesTurnbull StakesThe Turnbull Stakes is a 2000 metre Group 1 Australian Thoroughbred horse race, run under set weights with penalties conditions. The race is held at Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne in October. Total prize money is A$502,000. It is one of the important races of the Spring Racing Carnival along...
After retirement Galilee spent his years at the family horse stud, Beaufields near Gawler, South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
.
He is buried at the Gawler Racetrack in South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
.