Second Group One Winner in a Week for Camelot

Just a week after the Joseph O'Brien-trained colt Latrobe earned the distinction of becoming the first Group 1 winner for Camelot, the one season Coolmore shuttler chalked up a second winner at the highest when the Aidan O'Brien-trained filly Athena romped to a two and a half-length win in the Belmont Oaks.

This blueblood is one tough filly. She was never a factor in two starts at two. This season she finished fourth at Leopardstown before breaking her maiden at Fairyhouse at her fourth start in the month of May. She came fourth in the Group II Ribblesdale Stakes at Royal Ascot then ten days later she finished third behind the Foxwedge filly Urban Fox in the Group 1 Pretty Polly Stakes at the Curragh.

That was just last week so it came as a surprise when she lined up at Belmont Park.

With Ryan Moore in the saddle, Athena made her winning run down the centre of the track to defeat Thewayiam (Fr) (Thewayyouare) with Chipolata (Fr) (Muhtathir) neck back in third.

Ballydoyle representative T. J. Comerford said the stable expected a big run.

"I don't think it was a surprise, really, because she travelled here well and Donnacha (O'Brien) wasn't hard on her when she ran last week at the Curragh," Comerford told The Blood-Horse

"Six days later, a mile and a quarter on hard ground is probably her trip. She can probably go a bit farther as well, but it's great to get her going at a mile and a quarter, and she can go a mile and a half in time. She's won over a mile and a quarter, and she does it impressively. She didn't look like she was stopping."

The Coolmore homebred is a three-quarter sister to Group 1 Irish Oaks winner Bracelet (Montjeu) and the Group II winner Wading.

She is out of the Group III-placed Green Desert mare Cherry Hinton, who is a half-sister to breed-shaper Galileo and champion Sea The Stars out of the champion race mare and blue Urban Sea.

In something of an understatement, Ryan Moore said the Camelot's are coming into their own at three.

"These Camelots seem to be coming into themselves now. He's had a lot of very good horses very quickly," Moore said.

Camelot had a stakes double at Royal Ascot through Arthur Kitt in the Chesham Stakes and Hunting Horn in the Hampton Court Stakes. Hunting Horn was third behind More Than Ready's Catholic Boy in the Grade 1 Belmont Derby shortly after Athena's victory.

Last Sunday Camelot's Wait Forever won the Group 3 Premio del Giubileo in Italy.

Camelot won the Group 1 Racing Post Trophy at two and the 2,000 Guineas, Derby and Irish Derby at three. The son of Montjeu had 78 foals from his lone season in Australia in 2014.

The now two-year-olds are headed by the very promising Darren Weir-trained Furruin who won his first three starts before finishing second at Caulfield and the Kris Lees-trained filly Lady Of Shalott who won on debut before finishing third in the Listed Woodlands Stakes.