British racing defended after Derby wipe-out

“We are seeing a period at present where the Derby is being dominated by one specific sire in the form of Galileo,” said a BHA spokesman. “However, more generally British racing remains amongst the best in the world and our trainers and the quality of their horses are not in any doubt. British trained and bred horses continue to enjoy significant success at home and abroad.”

Twelve of the 13 runners in Saturday’s Derby were descended from Galileo, while the other was closely related to him, and his dominance naturally favours the County Tipperary stable of Aidan O’Brien, whose employers own Galileo and send so many of his progeny to O’Brien. But it is not as though British breeders cannot make use of Galileo or his bloodlines; the third horse on Saturday, Japan, was bred in Britain and sold at auction in Newmarket, where O’Brien’s employers paid over £1m for him in 2017.

Charlie Liverton, chief executive of the Racehorse Owners Association, said necessary work had been in progress for five years to make the British race programme more attractive to owners who might be tempted to invest in horses bred for middle-distance and staying races, the kind who might end up in a Derby.

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2019/jun/04/talking-horses-british-racing-defended-after-derby-wipe-out