Ruler Of The World a Derby-winning son of Galileo

RULER OF THE WORLD (IRE) - 2010 chestnut horse

There are several things that make Ruler Of The World one of the most intriguing stallions whose first yearlings are on offer in 2017.

He was unraced at two, won the Group 1 Derby at Epsom on his third start, then failed to win again until six starts later when he beat Flintshire by a length and a half in the Group 2 Prix Foy at Longchamp. Then he was unplaced in two more starts. He won the Group 3 Chester Vase before Epsom, he was third in the Group 1 Champion Stakes on his final start at three, and he earned over £1 million in prize money.

The chestnut retired on an official handicap mark of 119, which is strikingly low for a Derby hero, and that was down from a career peak of 122. But Timeform had a different view, rating him 128 at three and 126 at four.

His low official rating, disappointing strike-rate on the track, and the initial disappointment at stud of his top-class half-brother Duke Of Marmalade are likely contributing factors to his initial fee of just €15,000, a figure that dropped to €10,000 in 2016, and to just €8,000 in 2017.

He covered 80 mares in his first season at Coolmore Stud and it was that year in which his sibling had a breakthrough season.

Star Of Seville, Nutan and Simple Verse all became Group 1 classic stars for Duke Of Marmalade who, by that point was already at Drakenstein Stud in South Africa, and since then he has added Group 1 Premio Lydia Tesio scorer Sound Of Freedom and Group 1 Gold Cup hero Big Orange.

Ruler Of The World's first foals made up to €96,000. Given how many Galileo stallions have already sired at least one top-level winner somewhere in the world, that his half-brother has made such good progress as a sire, and the female family from which he comes, his current fee is eye-catching and could represent tremendous value.

Love Me True (by Kingmambo), the pattern-placed dam of Duke Of Marmalade and Ruler Of The World, is a half-sister to the Grade 1-placed Grade 2 scorer Bite The Bullet (by Spectacular Bid), and her dam, listed-placed Lassie's Lady (by Alydar), was out of Lassie Dear (by Buckpasser).

That Grade 3 scorer is the dam of Group 1 Sprint Cup and Group 1 Prix de la Foret winner Wolfhound (by Nureyev), of pattern-placed stakes-winner Foxhound (by Danzig), of Group 1-placed Al Mufti (by Roberto) and of a son named Deerhound (by Danzig). Each of them sired at least one top-level winner at stud, with Al Mufti being a top sire in South Africa.

Her daughters are headed by the Grade 1-placed Grade 3 scorer Weekend Surprise (by Secretariat) and she, of course, gave us the US classic stars and classic sires Summer Squall (by Storm Bird) and A.P. Indy (by Seattle Slew), the latter champion sire and founder of a dynasty in the USA. Lassie Dear is also the grandam of the prolific Grade 1 star and leading US sire Lemon Drop Kid (by Kingmambo).

These are the highlights of the first three generations of the family, and as Ruler Of The World is a Derby-winning Galileo (by Sadler's Wells) horse from one would imagine that the odds of him siring at least one Group 1 winner must be a short price.

The early Galileo stallions include the classic sires Teofilo, New Approach and Frankel, and each of Cima De Triomphe, Heliostatic, Rip Van Winkle, Roderic O'Connor, Sixties Icon and Soldier Of Fortune have sired at least one winner at the highest level in a Category I country.

Ruler Of The World does not look a likely candidate to get many two-year-old winners, although some may be blacktype earners at that age, and it may be that, like his half-brother, the best of his progeny are middle-distance horses and stayers.

RULER OF THE WORLD (IRE) – ch.2010 – Galileo – Love Me True, 4 wins inc Derby (Gr1), Prix Foy (Gr2), Chester Vase (Gr3), 2nd Prix Niel (Gr2), 3rd Champion Stakes (Gr1). Sire in Ireland. First foals in 2016.

YEARLINGS CATALOGUED:
chc - Be Glad (by Selkirk)     Osarus     Sept     ​€9,000
chf - Bold Assumption (by Observatory)     Goffs     Sept     ​withdrawn
chf - Bold Assumption (by Observatory)     Tattersalls     Nov     30,000gns
bf - Bridge Note (by Stravinsky)     Goffs UK     Aug      not sold
bf - Caelis (by Avonbridge)     Goffs     Sept     ​​€10,000
chc - Cape Rising (by Cape Cross)     Tattersalls     Oct     21,000gns
bc - Cawett (by Danehill Dancer)     Tattersalls IRE      Sept     not sold
​bc - Contemporary (by Alzao)     SGA     Sept     €22,000
bc - Crystal Morning (by Cape Cross)     Arqana     Aug     €155,000 (p/s)
chc - Independent Girl (by Bachelor Duke)     Tattersalls     Oct     25,000gns (p/s)
bc - Just Wondering (by Danehill Dancer)     Tattersalls     Oct     30,000gns
chc - Lady Miletrian (by Barathea)     Goffs     Sept     €50,000
bf - Legal Lyric (by Lawman)     Goffs     Sept     ​not sold
bf - Lily Mohawk (by Amadeus Wolf)     Goffs     Sept     ​€19,000
bf - Mona Brown (by Dylan Thomas)     Tattersalls IRE      Sept     €30,000
chc - Palladius (by Sakhee's Secret)     Tattersalls IRE      Sept     €9,000
bf - Sakamira (by Kamsin)     BBAG     Sept     not sold
bf - Sapphire Waters (by Six Sense)     Tattersalls IRE      Sept     €9,000
bc - Secret Suspect (by Invincible Spirit)     Goffs UK     Aug      not sold
bc - Secret Suspect (by Invincible Spirit)     Goffs     Oct     withdrawn
bc - Shakeeba (by Sendawar)     Tattersalls IRE      Sept     €20,000
chc - Sibaya (by Exceed And Excel)     Tattersalls IRE      Sept     €7,000
bc - Spate (by Danehill Dancer)     Tattersalls     Oct     32,000gns
​chf - Tennessee Moon (by Darshaan)     Goffs     Feb     withdrawn
chf - Tennessee Moon (by Darshaan)     Goffs     Oct     ​€7,000
bf - Ventura Ice (by Oratorio)     Arqana     Aug     €45,000