Coolmore colt Camelot (Montjeu – Tarfah, by Kingmambo) had to work hard on heavy ground but remained unbeaten in Saturday’s Group 1 Irish Derby (12f) at the Curragh.
Camelot won the English equivalent earlier in June. The manner of his English Derby triumph put off many of his three-year-old age group with just seven runners accepting for the Irish classic.
An extremely wet track left just five to start in the Irish Debry. Most expected Camelot to score comfortably but the exciting colt had to fight hard to hold off the challenge of Galileo’s (Sadler’s Wells – Urban Sea, by Miswaki) younger half-brother Born To Sea (Invincible Spirit – Urban Sea, by Miswaki) before prevailing by two lengths.
“We really felt it wasn’t the right thing (to run on this ground) but he’s a great horse,” Camelot’s trainer Aidan O’Brien said.
“I never would have believed it could ever happen. He’s by far the best we’ve had – we’ve never had anything like this.”
Coolmore will give Camelot a chance to complete the European Triple Crown in the Group 1 St Leger at Doncaster in September.