Come next autumn the local breeding industry may regret that the outstanding racehorse Camelot (IRE) never returned after covering just one season in Australia.
A string of recent results has the son of Montjeu batting at an average of 52.2% winners to runners with his now three-year-olds.
The Champion Second-crop sire in Europe, Camelot (photo Mark Smith) has had a remarkable run in just over three weeks.
At Warwick Farm on November 28, Camelot's record priced daughter, the Chris Waller-trained Re Edit, made a winning career debut.
On the same day the Anthony Freedman-trained Camelot filly Crown Dancer finished second at Sandown after breaking her maiden at Bendigo and a week later she again placed at Sandown.
On November 30, the Chris Waller-trained Welsh Legend opened her winning account at Canterbury while across the Tasman the Shaune Ritchie-trained Sword Drawn was runner-up in the Group III Wellington Stakes and a fortnight later placed in a Listed race over 2100 metres at Ellerslie.
On December 3 the Kris Lees-trained Bedivere broke his maiden at Taree then on December 12 Darren Weir's Yulong September made a winning career debut over 1400 metres at Sandown.
Two days later the Tony McEvoy-trained String Theory made light work of her career debut when romping home by two and a quarter lengths over 1600 metres at Morphettville.
The same day the Allan Denham-trained gelding Poulton Le Sands broke his maiden at Scone and Welsh Legend was narrowly beaten by her more experienced stablemate Smiling Manolito at Canterbury.
On December 18 Catching Beams broke her maiden for Jerome Hunter at Mornington.
And we haven't even counted Camelot's imported sons Latrobe (IRE), who finished second in the Group 1Mackinnon Stakes, and the Darren Weir-trained Furrion (IRE) who was purchased in Europe as a yearling and has won six of nine starts including the Listed Cranbourne Cup.
Which brings us to Caulfield on Wednesday where the Ciaron Maher and David Eustice-trained gelding Royal Performance broke his maiden over 1440 metres.
A troubled second at Hamilton when making his carer debut back on December 4, Royal Performance was backed as if unbeatable but he made his supporters sweat as Mark Zahra was in some trouble finding clear air.
Once he did, Royal Performance came clear to defeat Monteferrante (Pierro) by a length with Whitemore a long-neck back in third.
"He's a nice horse but he is still very new," Eustice told racing.com.
"He did the same at his first start, where the gap came and his head's up and having a bit of a look so we will give him the benefit of the doubt and another run we might end up with a bit of headgear to help him at the end of the race.
"He's got a big team of owners and it's great for Wylie Dalziel and we appreciate them being really patient with the horse because he has taken a bit of time to come to hand and they are being repaid now."
Purchased out of the Hallmark Stud draft for $100,000 by Ciaron Maher Bloodstock / Dalziel Racing / Mr P Moody at the 2017 NZB Premier Yearling Sale, Royal Performance (pictured as a yearling ) is a half-brother to the Group III VRC Bart Cummings Stakes winner Let's Make a Deal.
He is the tenth foal of the unraced Danehill mare Let's Get Famous is a daughter of the grand racemare Let's Elope (Nassipour) whose 11 wins included the VRC Melbourne Cup, Australian Cup, LKS Mackinnon Stakes and VATC Caulfield Cup,
Honoured at the Australian Horse of the Year in 1991-92, Let's Elope had six to the track and all won including the stakes-winners Ustinov and Outback Joe and the stakes-placegetters Court Courting and Yes I Will.
At this year's Easter Broodmare Sale, Let's Get Famous was purchased by Paul Willetts Bloodstock Consultancy for $45,000. She carried a positive test to So You Think which will be her 13th consecutive foal.
Earlier, at the Inglis Classic Yearling Sale, Dynamic Syndications paid $45,000 for Let's Get Famous colt by Verrazano (USA).
