Camelot ready for shot at immortality
When it was first mooted in early summer that the latest so-called superstar to emerge from Ballydoyle would try and emulate the great one himself and add the St Leger to the already won English 2000 Guineas and Derby, most believed it would never happen.
After all, as a son of Montjeu and with the two main English classics already tucked neatly away, there seemed little cause to go asking him to head down the stayers’ route and tackle a stamina-sapping one mile and six and a half furlongs.
Commercially it makes little or no sense and, arguably, if Camelot does deliver, then all it will prove is he has the potential to be a National Hunt stallion.
That, we can be absolutely certain, is not on Camelot’s agenda in any shape or form. So what is the thinking behind this audacious attempt to stretch him out over so far a trip?
Aidan O’Brien explained the motivation at Ballydoyle yesterday morning. “He is a very brave horse and this has always been a dream for us. The situation has changed here. It used to be a case of make a stallion and then send him off to stud.
“But now it is make a stallion and then expose him. This is about speed, stamina and courage, they are the three most important things. A lot of horses here have failed this test, we never dreamed of asking them to do it.”
Camelot is unbeaten in five races, twice as a juvenile and three times this season. He had the speed to win the 2000 guineas at Newmarket and then the speed and stamina to easily land the Epsom Derby.
All the evidence is that this may be a modest crop of three-year-olds and neither the Guineas nor the Derby form has exactly been working out very well. But the confidence in Camelot at Ballydoyle is undiminished and they believe, even though there is previous little evidence this far, that he is a very special horse.
He comes up the famous gallops and O’Brien, almost as a throwaway remark, says: “He doesn’t ever canter more than four furlongs.”
His sheer enthusiasm for Camelot is almost infectious. “Everything is good so far, he will do a half-speed tomorrow and then breeze for the rest of the week”, said O’Brien.
“In our hearts we thought he would have three or four runs as a three-year-old. He has a very low action and, hopefully, the ground will be good on Saturday. He came out of the Curragh (Irish Derby) in great shape. I never saw the Curragh as heavy as it was that day, but they only raced for two furlongs.”
O’Brien offered an insight into Camelot the individual. “He doesn’t heave after a race, he was hardly breathing after winning the Irish Derby, which is very unusual. He must have great heart and lung capacity. He is a very intelligent thinker and sharp. He doesn’t mind being on his own and never looks for company.’
The name Camelot was chosen by John Magnier’s wife, Sue. Said O’Brien: “Sue has had that name (in mind) for 10 years. It is a mystical name and there is nothing normal about this horse. He’s different, everything about him is different. He’s flesh and blood, but there’s a different vibe about him. That’s been the case from day one.”
But different or not, the question to be answered now is can a horse who had the speed and class to win over a mile at Newmarket go another six and a half furlongs?
“Lester (Piggott) says it’s almost two miles, so it will take him way beyond his comfort zone”, remarked O’Brien.
“There’s no doubt it is a big ask, you nearly have to be a Gold Cup horse to get this trip. If a horse isn’t up to it travelling an extreme distance can break his heart. Lester did point out though, that Alleged was beaten in the Leger and then went on to win two ‘Arcs.”
Could Camelot stay in training next season? “We would always want that, but for the breed (Montjeu) he is very unique. Nothing has been discussed past Saturday.”
At Doncaster, Camelot will go off a long odds-on favourite and there is little doubt is far and away the best horse in the race.
O’Brien has clearly put his heart and soul into preparing his charge for this test and admits that just about all else has been of secondary importance for a while now.
This is Camelot’s shot at immortality, to join Nijinsky who, even 42 years later, is still spoken about in hushed and revered tones.
So can he do it? “I am never confident, but always hopeful, so many things can go wrong”, is his response.
“I’m in the zone and just want it to go smoothly. Accidents don’t happen, they are caused.”
Aidan’s son, Joseph (19), will again be in the plate at Doncaster. Said Joseph, who revealed his father once told him to never let school interfere with his education: “He is not like any other horse. He is relaxed and travels, but whether he will get a mile and six plus is a massive question mark. Given how much speed he has, no one can know the answer until Saturday. He has an instant turn of foot, loves what he does and is a pleasure to ride. He’s a jockey’s dream. When he comes alive in your hands it is unbelievable. He loves attention and knows he is one of the best.”
Saturday will tell us just how accurate that really is.
