We’ve already seen an Australian broodmare produce an Epsom Derby winner when Believe ‘n’ Succeed did the job in 2019 thanks to her Galileo colt Anthony Van Dyck and there is a possibility it could happen again this weekend.
Back at the 2013 Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale the top priced offering was Group I winning Fastnet Rock mare Nechita, who was bought by Tom Magnier for $1.55million, and she is the dam of promising Galileo colt Artistic Star, who will line up in the Derby on Saturday night with two wins from two starts.
Three year-old Galileo colt and made it two wins in as many starts when he scored a tenacious win over 1m2f.
Trained by Ralph Beckett, Artistic Star is the her final foal from Nechita born in Ireland and won his only start last year before scoring an impressive win at Sandown to earn his place in the Derby.
When he won that day, Beckett offered the following.
“Artistic Star is a smashing horse. He is May 27th foal and he has only just been ready for this now, he is still a horse in the making I feel,” he said.
He might be a colt in the making, but there is only one Epsom Derby and connections will not die wondering.
Artistic Star is a full brother to Group III winners Harpo Marx(in Australia for Bjorn Baker) and Forbearance and is the fourth winner from five foals to race from Nechita, so far all of them by Galileo.
Nechita came back to Australia for Coolmore in foal to Frankel and the resulting colt was sold for $650,000 at the 2022 Magic Millions National Weanling Sale where he was the most expensive colt of the sale.
She subsequently lost a colt by Justify (USA) and is now in foal to Home Affairs.
