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Son of Montjeu making his mark on breeding landscape
The highlight of last weekend’s racing was undoubtedly the Danny O’Brien-trained Russian Camelot (Camelot) - who, on paper, looked to have history, age and experience against him in the South Australian Derby (Gr 1, 2500m), but was able to produce an incredible display that meant he became the first northern hemisphere to win a Derby in Australia.
By the Coolmore Stud-based sire Camelot (Montjeu), who was himself a high-class racehorse; winning the Racing Post Trophy (Gr 1, 1m) as a juvenile - before going on to land the 2,000 Guineas (Gr 1, 1m), Derby (Gr 1, 1m4f) and Ireland’s equivalent in his Classic year.
However, he is perhaps most famous for his failed attempt to become the first winner of the British Triple Crown since Nijinsky (Northern Dancer) in 1970 after he was agonisingly denied victory in the last leg - the St Leger Stakes (Gr 1, 1m6.5f) at Doncaster - when beaten by the Godolphin-raced Encke (Kingmambo).
In winning the Group 1 the colt also became the 27th stakes winner and fourth Group 1 winner - first in Australia - for Coolmore Stud-based former shuttler Camelot joining Irish Derby (Gr 1, 1m4f) winner Latrobe, Belmont Oaks (Gr 1, 10f) scorer Athena and Wonderment, who landed the Criterium de Saint-Cloud (Gr 1, 2000m) in 2018 - with his four elite level winners coming in four different countries.
Camelot - who shuttled to Australia for one season in 2014 - himself is out of Kingmambo (Mr. Prospector) mare Tarfah, whose five victories included Rosemary Handicap (Listed, 1m) and Dahlia Stakes (Gr 3, 1m1f). Tarfah’s other winner is Ideal (Galileo) - the dam of Fastnet Rock (Danehill) gelding Inverloch, who landed the Easter Cup (Gr 3, 2000m) last month.
Camelot’s ability to produce top-class staying types follows in the footsteps of his sire Montjeu (Sadler’s Wells), who landed the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (Gr 1, 2400m) in 1999, and he has been a good source of long distance champions and Camelot is one of four of his progeny to land an Epsom Derby (Gr 1, 1m4f), with the others being Motivator (2005), Authorized (2007) and Pour Moi, who won the Classic in 2011 - the year before Camelot himself.
Montjeu is the source of 25 stakes winners in Australia, including seven elite level scorers, whose Group 1s have all been in races from 1600 metres and up to 3200 metres. His progeny in the country is headed by Green Moon - who landed the Melbourne Cup (Gr 1, 3200m) in 2012. The septet also includes two Derby winners in Nom Du Jeu and Roman Emperor.
Saturday’s win was made all the more extraordinary given the fact Russian Camelot was foaled in March 2017 - making him around six months younger than his rivals on Saturday. He was purchased by Jeremy Brummitt for 120,000gns at Book 1 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale in 2018 from the Camas Park Stud draft before being sent to Australia.
The colt is out of unraced Cape Cross (Green Desert) mare Lady Babooshka, making him a half-brother to one other winner.
Lady Babooshka herself is out of Listed-winning Sadler’s Wells (Northern Dancer) mare Balalaika, making her three-quarter sister to Group 2 winner Alkaadhem (Green Desert) and the dam of Listed scorer Zanetto (Medicean).
The colt’s third dam is Bella Colora (Bellypha) - the dam of Group 2 winner Stagecraft (Sadler’s Wells), Group 3 winner Mullins Bay (Machiavellian) and Hyabella (Shirley Heights), with the latter the dam of Group 3 winner Poet (Pivotal), while she is also the grandam of Group 3 winner and Group 1 placed France (Desert Prince), Listed-winning duo Media Hype (Tiger Hill) and Hippy Hippy Shake (Danehill Dancer).
Meanwhile, Bella Colora also produced unraced Bella Cantata (Singspiel) - the dam of Group / Grade 2-winning pair Caspar Netscher (Dutch Art) and Bella Sonata (Silvano).
Russian Camelot - who technically turns four on January 1 2021, but will be deemed a four-year-old in Australia on August 1 - has been mooted as a legitimate Melbourne Cup chance and given the depth of staying power in his pedigree it would come as no surprise to see him stay the trip. Under the colt’s fourth dam is one of the most famous names in terms of endurance breeding in the European stud book.
His fourth dam is 1979 Lancashire Oaks (Gr 3, 1m3.5f) winner Reprocolor (Jimmy Reppin) - the dam of 1986 Irish Oaks (Gr 1, 1m4f) winner Colorspin (High Top), who in produced multiple Group 1 winner and top-class stayer Opera House (Sadler’s Wells) and Kayf Tara (Sadler’s Wells), whose ten wins came between 2000 metres and 4000 metres. Kayf Tara is now famed for producing top-class national hunt horses.
While this is the first stakes winner produced on the Camelot / Cape Cross nick, the Coolmore stallion has proved to work with Cape Cross’ sire Green Desert (Danzig), producing aforementioned Group 1 winner Athena and Group 3 winner Goddess.