Second Group One Winner in a Week for Camelot

Mark Smith - Sunday July 8

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.

Advertisement


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.

Advertisment
More Reading...
$750,000 Deep Field Colt a SW on Debut
Nearly all of the good colts and geldings by now pensioned sire Deep Field find their way to Hong Kong, but astute trainer Clinton McDonald was determined to keep Rosberg paying $750,000 for the colt at the Inglis Ready 2Race Sale last year and he was rewarded at Moonee Valley on Saturday.
Alpha Sofie Wins Listed Atlantic Jewel
A decision to transfer talented Capitalist  filly Alpha Sofie from the Queensland stable of Jason Edwards to Peter Moody and Katherine Coleman in Victoria paid immediate dividends at Moonee Valley on Saturday when she charged home to win the $175,000 Listed MRC Atlantic Jewel Stakes (1200m).
Concorde Stakes Success For Headwall
With the first two across the line highlighting their claims for an Everest slot, Matthew Smith’s Headwall (Dream Ahead) came with a well-timed run in the $1m Group 3 ATC Concorde Stakes (1000m) to deny the unlucky Lady Shenandoah (Snitzel).
Front Runner Lindermann Wins Chelmsford Stakes
Capitalising on his outstanding second up form, Chris Waller’s Group 1-winning Lonhro gelding Lindermann held on to win the Group 2 ATC Chelmsford Stakes (1600m) at Randwick on Saturday.
Barnstorming Performance As Baraqiel Wins G1 Moir Stakes
Off the back of his impressive last start Listed Norman Carlyon Stakes victory at the same track, Snitzel gelding Baraqiel had everyone talking, and rightfully so, as he justified the faith of his trainers, charging late to win the $750,000 Group 1 MVRC Moir Stakes (1000m) in the Bennett Racing silks.
G1 Shamus Award - Quintessa Wins Proisir Plate
The early spring has tended to bring the very best out of Quintessa, and that trend continued at Ellerslie on Saturday with a spectacular last-to-first performance at $36 odds in the Gr.1 Proisir Plate.
Pericles Turns Back the Clock
Six year-old Street Boss (USA) gelding Pericles won the Group II ATC Tramway Stakes (1400m) two years ago in 2023 when trained by James Cummings and he repeated the effort at Randwick on Saturday, but this time he is in the care of Bjorn Baker.
Sires With Winners - Saturday September 6
Here is the full list of 106 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Extremely Good Filly Wins G2 Furious for Myracehorse
There has always been a big boom on Extreme Choice filly Apocalyptic following her flashing second on debut last December and we finally saw her back at the races at Randwick on Saturday and it proved well worth the wait!
Lightning Strikes at The Valley
It didn't carry Black Type, but the $200,000 MVRC So You Think Stakes (1500m) at Moonee Valley was packed with intrigue and G1 winners with spring aspirations.