Camelot Returns With Mooresbridge Triumph

Source: The Racing Post

Aidan O’Brien’s dual Derby and 2,000 Guineas winning stable star made a winning seasonal reappearance at the Curragh on Monday.

The Epsom hero took a drop in class to contest the Group 3 Mooresbridge Stakes at the Kildare track, and he duly obliged for punters at cramped odds of 1/3 with a narrow win. The best of the rest in the betting was last year’s Dewhurst winner, Parish Hall, while the others were rated vastly inferior to Camelot’s mark of 124. Carrying 9-8, Camelot brushed off muted murmurs of doubt after his capitulation in October’s Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe in France.

Camelot broke well on Monday, and jockey Joseph O’Brien held him up at the back of the field, while stablemate Triumphant set a strong pace under Seamus Heffernan. Turning the home bend, Camelot was still at the back of the five runner field as Triumphant started to get swallowed up by his pursuers. After travelling sweetly the whole way round, Joseph O’Brien got to work on Camelot two furlongs out, and there was an immediate turn of foot from the four-year-old. There was a slight moment of worry for favourite backers when Camelot struggled slightly to go by his rivals, and it was only inside the final 200 yards he finally asserted his dominance. He ranged up to pass his stable companion inside the last strides, and went on to record a 1¾ length victory. Triumphant held on for second, while Jim Bolger’s Parish Hall underperformed in third.

The performance was not what you would call impressive for a horse that only missed out on the Triple Crown last term at the final hurdle. There was an air of doubt after Camelot was forced into undergoing surgery for colic over the winter, but trainer Aidan O’Brien declared himself “delighted” with the reappearance.

Speaking in post-race interviews, the master of Ballydoyle said: “I'm delighted with that. He had big colic surgery in the winter and you never really know what is going to happen, but he has all his class and speed still so it's great.” O’Brien also recognised the severity of the surgery, calling it a “massive” operation, and also said the team “were lucky” to have him at all.

Camelot underwent the surgery over the winter break for the colic that was used as an excuse for his poor showing in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe last year. He went to Coolmore after the surgery, and was away from Aidan O’Brien for months, but the Champion trainer was “surprised” at the shape he was in when he came back.

Jockey Joseph O’Brien said the horse was at around 70 per cent fitness, and will come on for his seasonal debut. Aidan also declared his intentions for Camelot for the coming season, and his next outing will be in the Tattersalls Gold Cup at the Curragh on May 26. All going well there, he will then be sent to the Prince of Wales Stakes at Royal Ascot in June. 

Relive this classic winning colt's glittering career to date in my five minute radio package below.