The finish to Sunday’s Gr1 Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe was dominated by progeny of Camelot and Sea The Stars.
The former is the sire of both 2024 Arc winner Bluestocking and third placed finisher Los Angeles, while 2009 Arc hero Sea The Stars is the sire of this year’s Arc runner up Aventure and fourth home Sosie.
Montjeu’s classic son Camelot – out of Tarfah (Pic – Coolmore)
Both Bluestocking (Emulous) and Los Angeles (Frequential) are out of mares by Dansili -whose close relation Ideal World stands at Mauritzfontein. Dansili is also broodmare sire of Paardeberg Stud’s resident sire Expert Eye.
Camelot, seventh in the 2012 Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, was also represented in this year’s Arc by fifth place finisher Sevenna’s Knight. Four-time Gr1 winner Camelot has had a fine year in 2024, with the son of Montjeu’s flagbearers including the Gr1 winners Bluestocking, Los Angeles and Luxembourg, as well as the group winners Pensee Du Jour, Prydwen, and the aforementioned Sevenna’s Knight.
At the time of writing, Camelot had been responsible for 12 Grade/Group One winners and 63 stakes winners in total.
The 2024 Arc was also yet another feather in the cap of 1999 Arc hero Montjeu, sire of Camelot. Despite dying relatively young at the age of 16, Montjeu left behind a remarkable legacy, and had a reputation as an outstanding sire of classic winners and top-class middle distance gallopers.
In total, Montjeu supplied 126 stakes winners, including four English Derby winners -Motivator, Authorized, Camelot and Pour Moi. Winner of the 1999 Irish Derby, Montjeu also enjoyed tremendous success as a sire in that Curragh classic, and was responsible for Irish Derby winners Hurricane Run, Frozen Fire, Fame And Glory, and Camelot. Camelot himself has sired the Irish Derby winners Latrobe and Los Angeles.
Montjeu also has exerted quite an influence on the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe. Himself an exceptional winner of the 1999 Arc, when coming from a seemingly impossible position to score, Montjeu sired 2005 Arc winner Hurricane Run, whose 8 wins also included triumphs in the Gr1 Irish Derby, Gr1 Tattersalls Gold Cup, and Gr1 King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes. Montjeu’s Derby winning son Motivator sired brilliant, dual Arc winner Treve and Camelot has since become the latest sire son of Montjeu to enjoy success in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.
Treve made her mark over the weekend – her daughter Doha (Sea The Stars) won Friday’s Listed Prix Dahlia-Fonds European de l’Elevage at Saint-Cloud, with the four-year-old having finished second, to subsequent Gr1 Virgin Bet Sun Chariot Stakes winner Tamfana (Soldier Hollow), in the Gr3 Sky Bet Atalanta Stakes previously.
Montjeu also made his presence felt in Australia this weekend. His deceased son Tavistock is the sire of Saturday’s F1 TAB Epsom winner Ceolwulf, and also ranks as the broodmare sire of 2024 Gr1 Crown Makybe Diva Stakes hero Mr Brightside (Bullbars). The latter, who is out of the Tavistock mare Lilahjay, has earned more than AUS $14.158 million in stakes, with Mr Brightside’s 17 career wins including seven Gr1 triumphs.
The ill-fated Tavistock, one of his sire’s best stallion sons, left behind more than 50 stakes winners and was Hong Kong’s Champion Sire in 2021-2022.
Montjeu also continues to make his presence felt as a broodmare sire, and ranks as the damsire of Gr1 winners of the ilk of Paddington, Charm Spirit, Wonderful Tonight and Starman.
The latter, winner of the 2021 Gr1 Darley July Cup, has made a big impression with his first yearlings in 2024 and was the Leading Sire, by Aggregate, at the 2024 Goffs Premier Yearling Sale.
