Classy Camelot sets up tilt at Triple Crown

The ‘Magic Sign’ have seen the world’s oldest Classic enjoy something of a renaissance since they took over its sponsorship in 2005. The icing on the cake would be for Camelot to attempt to be only the 16th horse in history to add the Leger to victories in the 2000 Guineas and Derby. He is priced at just 1-3 to do so.

Owners Derrick Smith, John Magnier and Michael Tabor are giving serious consideration to the Aidan O’Brien-trained colt being aimed at Doncaster. The last horse to win all three colts’ Classics was Nijinsky in 1970, and he was trained at Ballydoyle by Vincent O’Brien.

“It is a fantastic opportunity for us and we are going to throw the kitchen sink at this event – the race, the town, to ensure this happens,” said David Williams of Ladbrokes. “Too often racing lets opportunities like this slip through its fingers and we’re determined that doesn’t happen when it comes to our race. Listening to the Coolmore and Ballydoyle representatives, this is very much on their radar.

“We have to ensure we do everything we can to get this gig on. If it does happen, Town Moor won’t have known anything like it for a generation.”

Camelot is long odds-on with Ladbrokes to add the Leger to his list of triumphs. “He’s 1-3 with us already, so we feel if he turns up the others will be a postscript to history,” said Williams. “The way he ran his race on Saturday, much like the Guineas, he was doing his best work at the end so a mile and six across a flat track at Doncaster would be well within his range. There’s a huge excitement about getting this on.”

Doncaster racecourse owners Arena Leisure are understandably excited at the possibility of Camelot going for the Triple Crown. “He started his Group 1- winning career at Doncaster in the Racing Post Trophy, so it makes it even more special. We’ve all been keen to follow him and it’s made it more exciting,” said Kate Hills, PR director of Arena.

Camelot, sent off the 8-13 favourite on Saturday, won in some style under a brilliant ride from the trainer’s 19-year-old son, Joseph, scoring by five lengths from Main Sequence. Settled at the rear of the nine-runner field by his young rider, Camelot looked to have plenty to do coming down Tattenham Corner, with stablemate Astrology leading the pack. But when O’Brien asked his mount the response was immediate. He quickened past Main Sequence and just had Astrology to aim at. Once in the clear the result was inevitable and the shortest-priced winner since Gainsborough in 1918 pulled five lengths clear. Main Sequence stayed every yard and beat Astrology to the line by a short head.

Second-favourite Bonfire looked ill at ease on the track and trailed home in sixth.

Part-owner Magnier said: “We are going to have to take it race by race and give it lots of thought. Wouldn’t anybody [be tempted by the Triple Crown]? These things get to mean more as you get older, if you had asked me 30 years ago I might have looked the other way, but we will have to see what Derrick [Smith] and Michael [Tabor] say about it.” O’Brien senior said: “You can’t even dream of days like this. No-one can describe the feeling, things like this don’t happen. The Triple Crown would be incredible.”

Camelot’s victory was the second leg of a magnificent double on the day for the Ballydoyle team after St Nicholas Abbey (8-11) successfully defended his crown in the Diamond Jubilee Coronation Cup.

Spare a thought at the other end of the Derby, where 25-1 chance Cavaleiro came home last for Hayley Turner, only the second woman to ride in the race. “He just wasn’t good enough,” said Turner whose predecessor, Alex Greaves, also finished last on Portuguese Lil in 1996.