Galtee More, a big bay horse of “almost faultless conformation”[1] was bred by his owner John Gubbins[2] at his Knockany Stud near Bruree, County Limerick.
Gubbins named the colt after Galtymore (Cnoc Mór na nGaibhlte), a mountain on the border of Limerick and County Tipperary.
[6] After his successes in 1897, Wood was asked to explain what things were needed to win a Derby: he replied, "a saddle, a bridle and a good horse.
Galtee More was then sent to Newmarket for the year’s most important two-year-old race, the six furlong Middle Park Plate in which he was matched against Lord Rosebery’s undefeated colt Velasquez.
The two colts had already been identified as outstanding prospects and leading contenders for the following year's Classics,[12] and despite the presence of three other runners, the race was regarded as a virtual match, Velasquez starting the 1/5 favourite with Galtee More on 5/1.
Velasquez looked to be the likely winner a quarter mile from the finish, but Galtee More accelerated past him "as if he were standing still" and drew rapidly clear to win by four lengths.
[23] After the race the winner was surrounded by enthusiastic supporters, but reacted calmly, even when one spectator began pulling out hairs from his tail as souvenirs.
[24] In Ireland, the colt's win provoked enthusiastic celebrations with bonfires being lit on the top of Galtymore mountain to mark the "humiliation of the Saxon".
[25] Galtee More was then sent to Royal Ascot for the Prince of Wales's Stakes in which he started at odds of 1/33 and won in the "commonest of canters" from three rivals who were each receiving sixteen pounds.
[27] Some disappointment was expressed around this time that there seemed little chance of a meeting between Galtee More and the outstanding four-year-old Persimmon who had easily beaten Velasquez in the Eclipse Stakes,.
On this occasion however, he was apparently unable to pull clear of his rivals[30] and was strongly challenged in the closing stages by the filly Chelandry, the winner of the 1000 Guineas.
[31] The winning margin was only half a length, with St Cloud and Silver Fox only a neck and a head further back, but Wood claimed that the colt was never extended.
[33] After the St Leger, the managers of Lingfield Park Racecourse put forward a proposal for a £3,700 weight-for-age invitation match race between Galtee More and Persimmon to take place over one mile on 2 October.
He was in touch with the pace until the final quarter mile, but faded in the closing stages to finish tenth behind Comfrey, to whom he was conceding thirty-four ponds.