Circus Maximus, (foaled 8 February 2016) is an Irish Thoroughbred racehorse. He showed promise as a juvenile in 2018 when he won one minor race and ran well in both the Autumn Stakes and the Vertem Futurity Trophy. In the following year he showed top class form over a mile, winning the Dee Stakes, St James's Palace Stakes and Prix du Moulin as well as finishing second in the Sussex Stakes. As a four-year-old he won the Queen Anne Stakes and finished second in both the Sussex Stakes and the Breeders' Cup Mile. Background Circus Maximus is a bay horse with a small white star bred in Ireland by Flaxman Stables, a breeding company run by the Niarchos family. During his racing career he has been jointly owned by Flaxman Stables and the Coolmore Stud. He was sent into training with Aidan O'Brien at Ballydoyle. He was sired by Galileo, who won the Derby, Irish Derby and King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes in 2001. Galileo became one of the world's leading stallions, earning his tenth champion sire of Great Britain and Ireland title in 2018. His other progeny include Cape Blanco, Frankel, Golden Lilac, Nathaniel, New Approach, Rip Van Winkle, Found Minding and Ruler of the World. Circus Maximus's dam Duntle was a top-class performer who won five races including the Sandringham Handicap, Desmond Stakes, Amethyst Stakes and Duke of Cambridge Stakes. She was a female-line descendant of Lady Winborne, a half-sister to Allez France. Racing career 2018: two-year-old season On his racecourse debut Circus Maximus started the 5/1 favourite in a 23-runner field for a maiden race over seven furlongs at the Curragh on 26 August. Ridden by Ryan Moore he finished fifth, four and three quarter lengths behind the winner Breaking Story, after being hampered in the last quarter mile. On 22 September at Gowran Park the colt was partnered by his trainer's son Donnacha O'Brien in a maiden over one mile on heavy ground and recorded his first victory as he came home two lengths clear of the Ger Lyons trained Army Recruit despite hanging badly to the left in the closing stages. The colt was then sent to England and stepped up in class for the Group 3 Autumn Stakes at Newmarket Racecourse on 13 October and Donnacha O'Brien partnering the stable's best fancied contender Magna Grecia the ride on Circus Maximus went to