Bred by Sheikh Abdulla Bin Isa
Al-Khalifa, bought, as a yearling, by the Coolmore organisation and
trained by Aidan O’Brien at Ballydoyle, Co. Kildare, Camelot, was a
bay colt by Montjeu. He was one of the few horses of the modern era
to attempt the traditional English Triple Crown – that is, the
2,000 Guineas, the Derby and the St. Leger – last won by Nijinsky
in 1970.
Camelot raced just twice as a juvenile,
easily winning his maiden at Leopardstown in July before giving his
rivals similarly short shrift in the Racing Post Trophy at Doncaster
in October, when stepped up to Group One level for the first time. He
reappeared in the 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket the following May
without the benefit of a preparatory run but, although left with
plenty to do entering the final quarter of a mile, led inside the
final furlong and stayed on well to justify favouritism, beating
French Fifteen by a neck.
In the Derby at Epsom, Camelot started
8/13 favourite to beat just eight rivals – the smallest field since
1907 – and duly obliged, running on strongly to beat Main Sequence
by 5 lengths, eased down. Aidan O’Brien said afterwards, “From
day one he’s been exceptional, so I was really taking it race by
race rather than by trip.”
In the Irish Derby later the same
month, Camelot faced just five rivals, including stable companion
Astrology, whom he’d already beaten at Epsom, and was sent off 1/5
favourite to extend his unbeaten record. Before the race, Aidan
O’Brien had expressed concerns that the soft to heavy going at the
Curragh might prove too testing for Camelot but, despite jinking left
in the closing stages, he kept on well inside the final furlong to
beat Born To Sea by 2 lengths.
Camelot was rested for six weeks until
his bid for the Triple Crown at Doncaster in October. His nine rivals
in the St. Leger included Thought Worthy, his old rival Main Sequence
and Encke, who’d previously finished first, second and third in the
Great Voltigeur at York. However, over the extra 2½ furlongs on Town
Moor, Encke fared best of that trio and proved to be the proverbial
fly-in-the-ointment for Camelot. Try as he might, the 2/5 favourite
could never quite reel in the 25/1 outsider and Encke held on well to
win by three-quarters of a length.
