Camelot
British classic winner Camelot has been retired because of an injury detected earlier this week. He will stand at Coolmore Stud in 2014. A 4-year-old son of Montjeu who was being pointed toward the Breeders’ Cup Turf (gr. IT), Camelot retires with a record of 6-2-0 from 10 starts and earnings of $2,990,639.
Aidan O’Brien, who trained Camelot for the Coolmore connections of Michael Tabor, Sue Magnier, and Derrick Smith, said Oct. 14 that the colt was lame “when pulling out this morning” and that the injury was not serious. O’Brien said the decision was made to retire Camelot because he would miss about a week of training and would be unable to continue on to the World Championships Nov. 2 at Santa Anita Park.
“From the very first time we saw him at the sales we just loved him” said O’Brien. “He was the perfect racehorse, a beautiful horse with a terrific action. Speed, class, and a super-intelligent horse to go with it—he had it all. Unfortunately we never saw the same brilliance on the racecourse as we had done before his colic operation but he was showing signs of it at home in recent weeks so it’s obviously disappointing that he won’t get the opportunity to run again.”
Bred in Great Britain by Sheikh Abdullah bin Isa Al Khalifa, Camelot was purchased by Demi O’Byrne for $875,937 from the Highclere Stud consignment to the 2010 Tattersalls October yearling sale.
At age 2, Camelot accounted for the Racing Post Trophy Stakes (Eng-I) among his two victories in as many starts and was highweighted 2-year-old colt in England and Ireland.
In his first start at 3, Camelot rallied from far back with two furlongs remaining to win the QIPCO Two Thousand Guineas (Eng-I) and followed with a five-length victory in the Investec Epsom Derby (Eng-I), following Nashwan and Sea the Stars as the only two horses since the great Nijinsky II to complete the Guineas-Derby double.
After winning the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby (Ire-I), Camelot was then upset in his bid to sweep the English Triple Crown in the Ladbrokes St. Leger (Eng-I), finishing second. The colt was never a factor in the season-ending Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triopmhe (Fr-I) at Lonchamp in France and was subsequently treated for colic. On the basis of his three group I wins, Camelot was highweighted 3-year-old colt in Europe for 2012.
In three 2013 outings, Camelot won the High Chaparral E.B.F. Mooresbridge Stakes (Ire-III) and finished second in the Tattersalls Gold Cup (Ire-I).
