Weekend racing preview: Camelot chasing big double
Colic surgery and a disappointing return at four no doubt played a role in his opening fee of €25,000 and as a result expectations for the progeny of the four time Group 1 winner were perhaps higher than his debut fee might suggest.
The said progeny did not disappoint. Latrobe came good in the Irish Derby whilst regally-bred Athena struck for his second top flight winner in the G1 Belmont Oaks.
That G1 winning pair headed a band of seven Group winners and 12 stakes winners when the curtain came down on his debut Classic crop’s three year-old-campaign. The first of multiple fee increases (up by €15,000 to €40,000) followed for 2019, the resulting progeny of which are laying down their Classic credentials this weekend.
Group 3 Prix Penelope, Saint Cloud, Saturday 1.33pm
Contesting the G3 Prix Penelope at Saint-Cloud is Camelot’s unbeaten three-year-old filly and TDN Rising Star Pensee du Jour who has been foot perfect in two starts to date.
One of the least exposed in a field of eight, this daughter of Camelot and Painter’s Pride (a Dansili half-sister to Arc winner Peintre Celebre) is a perfect example of the upgrade in mares the sire received.
Peintre Celebre (Nureyev) won the Prix du Jockey Club in a near perfect second season that included the Grand Prix de Paris and aforementioned five length Arc success. Given Peintre Celebre was a grandson of Northern Dancer, it made sense to try former perennial Champion sire Sadler’s Wells with his dam.
The resulting filly Peinture Rare won the G2 Prix de Pomone for owner/breeders the Wildensteins, who race Pensee du Jour in the famous two tone blue Ballymore Thoroughbreds silks.
Perhaps her success played a role in sending Painter’s Pride to Sadler’s Wells latest promising descendant at stud back in 2019. Regardless of their reasons, Andre Fabre has a smart filly on his hands who goes into this contest putting her Prix de Diane credentials on the line.
With every fee increase comes the weight of expectation and in Pensee du Jour, Camelot is fulfilling that expectation for now. This filly will need to step up on her flawless seven lengths stakes debut in the Listed Prix Rose de Mai, but perhaps not by much.
Group 3 Ballysax Stakes, Leopardstown, Sunday 3.45pm
As the clock ticks towards 1pm every Thursday, the racing public wait (im)patiently to see which regally bred Ballydoyle inmate will benefit from Ryan Moore’s inimitable talents.
There were very few raised eyebrows to see impressive Galway maiden winner Alexandroupolis selected for the always crucial Ballysax Stakes at Leopardstown on Sunday. Secured from Tattersalls’ Book Two yearling sale by MV Magnier for 240,000gns, the same sale that produced last year’s Derby hero Desert Crown for 280,000gns, his sights have been firmly set on the Classics since his taking debut.
Despite never leaving the safety of home following his sole success in July, Alexandroupolis’s form received a Group One boost in October when the horse he beast into second, Espionage (Galileo), fell just a head short in the G1 Criterium International.
Given the ease in which Alexandroupolis accounted for the subsequent G1 runner up on his debut, word has been strong all winter for this Derby entry and it only strengthened at the annual Ballydoyle press morning earlier this week.
This colt’s dam Jazz Cat (Tamayuz) failed to win in four starts and Alexandroupolis is by far the best of her three foals to race – another hat tip to our subject sire.
It’s back to his second dam G1 Moyglare winner Chelsea Rose (Desert King) to see why this mare made the cut for Camelot’s best group of mares at the time. She’s the dam of St Leger winner Kew Gardens (Galileo) who is one of three stakes winners out of Chelsea Rose including Jazz Cat’s full sister Thawaany.
The last colt to do the Ballysax/Epsom Derby double was Harzand and he arrived at Leopardstown with just a maiden win under his belt. Alexandroupolis will have to get through this test first and though he faces an unexposed field with the potential to be anything, the stage is set for the colt to pass with flying colours.
What makes a Classic sire? Nathaniel, sire of scintillating Derby winner Desert Crown stands for an unchanged fee of €15,000, the same sire who gave us the all-conquering super mare Enable. What is it about Camelot that justifies his €60,000 fee? There is no simple answer, but representation at the highest level certainly plays a leading role.
Waiting in the wings to spoil the party for Pensee du Jour and Alexandroupolis? Enter stage left and right: Denmark and Be Happy – you guessed it, two promising offspring of Camelot.
As the saying goes, one swallow does not a summer make and whilst there are a range of sires who can get you a Classic prospect or winner, very few can do so consistently.
Camelot’s all-conquering sire (Montjeu) and grandsire (Sadler’s Wells) have set a high bar with six Derby winners between them.
Well represented across the European racing scene on the first serious weekend of Classic trials, Camelot’s cards are on the table. Are Pensee du Jour and Alexandroupolis a winning pair? If he is to graduate into the exclusive band of proven Classic sires so synonymously associated with his stallion masters, a big race double this weekend would be a good place to start.
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