Kia Ora Stud has a South African Group 1 winner in waiting with Galileo filly Igugu and the same combination produced another potential Group winner when Gopana was successful at Rosehill on Wednesday.

Igugu (3f Galileo – Zarinia by Intikhab) was an unlucky second in the G1 Cape Fillies Guineas on Saturday but trainer Mike De Kock believes she will make amends in the G1 South African Fillies Classic in March.

Igugu, which is Zulu for “treasure”, was a $65,000 buy out of the Kia Ora consignment at the 2009 Inglis Melbourne Premier yearling sale.  

Gopana (4m Galileo – Honorifique by Highest Honor) is a homebred for Kia Ora owner Ananda Krishnan and she impressed with a determined victory over 2000m yesterday.  It was her third wins in four starts since breaking maiden ranks at Hawkesbury in October.

Co-trainer Michael Hawkes confirmed the mare will target the G3 AJC Summer Cup (2400m) at Randwick on Boxing Day.  “She’s only lightly raced but can stay,” Hawkes claimed.  “And she really wants to be a racehorse.”

Gopana is from French bred mare Honorifique who won a Group 3 in Italy and a Listed event at Longchamp and, although well beaten, was good enough to take her place in the 2001 Arc de Triomphe won by Sakhee.

Galileo is proving to be a chip off the old block at Coolmore’s Irish base as he looks to emulate the legendary feats of his own sire Sadler’s Wells.  He sired seven individual G1 winners in Europe alone this year including juvenile superstar Frankel.

In Australia, Galileo’s only Group 1 horse to date has been 2008 AJC Spring Champion Stakes winner Sousa.  His shuttling days were curtailed after five southern books, nevertheless, there are still Group 1 wins ahead of his Melbourne based four year-olds Linton and Spacecraft.