Camelot

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-pedigreed horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Today's Observations features a half to a young Group 1-winning sire. 11.25 Deauville, Debutantes, €22,000, 2yo, c/g, 7 1/2f (AWT) VERDERON (IRE) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) is a notable newcomer for Godolphin and Andre Fabre on the Polytrack, being a 500,000gns Tattersalls December Foal Sale purchase. The half-brother to...

NEWMARKET, UK-They say that necessity is the mother of invention. The very fact that Tattersalls is contriving to stage the December Sale, while adapting to the strictures of lockdown, attests to that axiom. And so, too, did the fact that the highest bid of the second session was made online--by someone who was actually on site, and could have dived into the ring in an emergency. That resourceful gentleman proved to be Gerard Lowry of Oneliner Stables, who emerged from the cloak of cyber anonymity after the hammer came down...

Wootton Bassett (GB), one of four new sires on the Coolmore roster for 2021, will stand for €100,000 off a glittering season on the track that saw him sire two new Group 1 winners and 10 stakes winners. Coolmore announced its purchase of Wootton Bassett in June from Haras d'Etreham, where the son of Iffraaj had stood since retiring to stud in 2012. After standing for as low as €4,000 in his third season, Wootton Bassett had been priced at €40,000 the past two seasons. Just a week after the...

This year's Listed Lingfield Derby Trial winner and G1 Derby favourite English King (Fr) (Camelot {GB}) is headed Down Under to continue his racing career, having been secured by Ballymore Stables and Paul Moroney Bloodstock for 925,000gns, with Armando Duarte signing the ticket. The 3-year-old colt, who finished fifth in the Derby, was bought by Bjorn Nielsen for €210,000 at Arqana's October yearling sale in 2018 and was trained for him by Ed Walker.

Latrobe (Ire) (Camelot {GB}-Question Times {GB}, by Shamardal), winner of the 2018 G1 Irish Derby for trainer Joseph O'Brien, will join Haras d'Etreham's roster of jumps stallions at Haras de la Tuilerie for 2021. After his Irish Derby win Latrobe would go on to be second in the G1 Irish St Leger and the G1 Mackinnon S. in Australia that season. He was a consistent pattern race performer in Europe last year at four, winning the G3 Ballyroan S. and placing in the G3 Alleged S. and G2 Curragh Cup....

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-pedigreed horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Today's Insights features a half-sister to multiple Grade/Group 1 winner Iridessa (Ire) (Ruler of the World {Ire}). 12.50 Curragh, Mdn, €25,000, 2yo, 8fT SANTA BARBARA (IRE) (Camelot {GB}) debuts for Ballydoyle in this valuable Irish EBF Median Sires Series Maiden and is a half-sister to the four-times Group and...

DEAUVILLE, France—In a yearling sales season which has had more reshuffles than the British government's cabinet, the caravan has finally started rolling in the last week and has now pitched up in Deauville for Arqana's headline event of the year. As it is taking place three weeks later than usual, it is no longer the August Sale but the Select Sale, though there is a more than familiar feel to the catalogue, which features plenty of France's leading equine families. Two consignors have taken advantage of the sale's later date...

Trainer Ed Walker said Bjorn Nielsen's Listed Lingfield Derby Trial winner English King (Fr) (Camelot {GB}) is "really well" two weeks after running fifth as the favourite in the G1 Investec Derby, but that no future plans have been decided. "He's recovered from Epsom and put the weight back on that he lost--we're very happy with him," the trainer said. "There is no great plan at the moment, that's for sure. We're just mulling things over and we'll see what we come up with. The main thing is the horse...

A day removed from the G1 Investec Derby, trainer Ed Walker said English King (Fr) (Camelot {GB}), fifth as the early favourite, had come out of the race well and could target the G1 Grand Prix de Paris in September. "We'll let the dust settle and mull over it for a few days," Walker said. "I think an obvious target would be the Grand Prix de Paris, because he's French-bred and qualifies for the premiums. I wouldn't rule out the St Leger, but I wouldn't want to run him on...

There were days when we were drumming our fingers on our at-home desks or dining tables wondering what on earth to write about for tomorrow. But now that the shock of racing's shutdown has been completely erased by the return, finally, of racing in Ireland to complete a European full set, the panic is not what to write but how on earth to keep up with it all. No complaints here. The last few weeks since the French return in mid-May and Britain just over a week ago have provided...

While Irish racing awaits a resumption date following a week of uncertainty over lockdown easing, two of the country's exports did Ireland proud in Adelaide on Saturday when Russian Camelot (Ire) (Camelot {GB}), ridden by former jump jockey Johnny Allen, became the first horse bred in the northern hemisphere to win a Derby in Australia. It's no surprise to see the name O'Brien next to a Derby winner, but this time it was Flemington-based Danny O'Brien, whose season is continuing in fine style after adding the G1 South Australian Derby...

There are few areas in which any stallion can topple Galileo (Ire). It was only last year, however, that the champion sire drew level with his erstwhile stud-mate Montjeu (Ire) by number of Derby winners. The two sons of Sadler's Wells now have four apiece—and one Derby-winning paternal grandson each—but Montjeu was much quicker off the mark in this field and, following his death in 2012, he has not been represented by Classic-generation runners at Epsom in the last three years. As the Cheltenham Festival begins its four-day run today,...