Aidan O'Brien has already quipped that Galileo can gallop on water, but so many superlatives have been used to describe the colt's King George success that, spread out, they would allow racing's latest superstar to walk back from Ascot to Ballydoyle without getting his feet wet.
The reaction began with "wonder horse", stopped briefly at "Galileo won the battle of the four-legged giants", and apparently gives a glimpse of the future with "has earned himself a place among the all-time greats".
It is all music to the ears of Galileo's part-owner, John Magnier, who, if some of the more hysterical reports are valid, is looking at a piece of horseflesh worth nearly $100 million.
On the immediate back of this King George it is easy to ride along with the waves of adulation that are crashing over Galileo's elegant and expensive head. But the hype is threatening to cloud the reality.
Sure enough, any horse that can travel as easily off a pace so frantic that even Grundy's 1975 track record looked in danger can only be admired. However, Galileo showed us nothing new in that.
He also travelled just as smoothly through the Epsom Derby and the Irish Derby. What was new at Ascot was the will to win he showed when Fantastic Light sped to his side and threw down the first serious challenge of Galileo's career.
In such circumstances, more than one supposed champion, used to treating his rivals with easy contempt, has spat the bit out at the prospect of a fight. To his considerable credit, Galileo didn't do that, but was that enough to justify talk of him being an all-time great?
Cold-eyed handicapping says not by a long way. Yesterday the British handicapper Nigel Gray consulted with his Irish colleagues, Gary O'Gorman and Geoffrey Gibbs, and concluded that Galileo did no more on Saturday than he did to win the Irish Derby. The style might have been commendably different but the substance remained the same. Galileo is still rated at 130; top class to be sure, but no better than any of the last five King George winners achieved.
"It is still difficult to know how good Galileo is," Gray said yesterday. "He went into the King George 3lb in front of Fantastic Light, which equates to two lengths over a mile and half. That fits in with the St Leger winner Millenary, who is rated 6lb behind Fantastic Light and was beaten four lengths.
"Fantastic Light is clearly better now than ever before, but he was also second in the King George last year and who can forget the way Montjeu beat him?
Galileo has confirmed the 130 allocated to him after the Irish Derby, but it is difficult to know how good he is. It will be exciting to see where he goes from here."
The future is the key to grandiose claims that Galileo's name can sit easily aside legends of the game such as Dancing Brave, Shergar and Nijinsky. Just remember back 12 months ago and how Montjeu was being hoisted to the same heights after a contemptuous dismissal of the Godolphin horse.
That champion's career spluttered out ignominiously at the Breeders' Cup, but he went to America having officially achieved more in his career than Galileo has up to now.
In contrast, this year's Breeders' Cup will be the ultimate test for a horse who might yet be all he is cracked up to be.
