Camelot (foaled 15 March 2009) is a British-bred, Irish-trained
thoroughbred
The Thoroughbred is a list of horse breeds, horse breed developed for Thoroughbred racing, horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thorough ...
racehorse. He was one of the leading European two-year-olds of 2011 and won the
Racing Post Trophy at
Doncaster
Doncaster ( ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city in South Yorkshire, England. Named after the River Don, Yorkshire, River Don, it is the administrative centre of the City of Doncaster metropolitan borough, and is the second largest se ...
. On his three-year-old debut in 2012, Camelot won the 2000 Guineas at
Newmarket and followed up by winning the Derby at
Epsom
Epsom is a town in the borough of Epsom and Ewell in Surrey, England, about south of central London. The town is first recorded as ''Ebesham'' in the 10th century and its name probably derives from that of a Anglo-Saxon settlement of Britain ...
and the Irish Derby at the
Curragh
The Curragh ( ; ) is a flat open plain in County Kildare, Ireland. This area is well known for horse breeding and training. The Irish National Stud is on the edge of Kildare town, beside the Japanese Gardens. Pollardstown Fen, the larges ...
. His bid for the
Triple Crown failed narrowly when he finished runner-up in the
St Leger
The St Leger Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at Doncaster over ...
.
Background
Camelot is a dark-coated bay horse with an
interrupted white stripe, bred by
Sheikh Abdulla Bin Isa Al-Khalifa. The colt was reared at the Highclere Stud near
Newbury in Berkshire, where his "paddock playmate" was a foal who went on to be named Bonfire.
In October 2010, Camelot was sent as a yearling to the Tattersalls sales at
Newmarket, where he was bought for 525,000
guineas
The guinea (; commonly abbreviated gn., or gns. in plural) was a coin, minted in Great Britain between 1663 and 1814, that contained approximately one-quarter of an ounce of gold. The name came from the Guinea region in West Africa, from where m ...
by the bloodstock agent Dermot "Demi" O'Byrne on behalf of the
Coolmore organisation. Like most Coolmore horses, he was sent into training with
Aidan O'Brien
Aidan Patrick O'Brien (born 16 October 1969 in County Wexford, Ireland)[ Aidan O'Brien bio NTRA. ...](_blank)
at
Ballydoyle
Ballydoyle is a racehorse training facility located in County Tipperary in Ireland. It is a sister thoroughbred facility to Coolmore Stud, and both are owned by John Magnier, son in law to the racehorse trainer Vincent O'Brien. The current trai ...
. For racing purposes, Camelot is registered as being owned by Derrick Smith,
Mrs John Magnier and
Michael Tabor
Michael Barry Tabor (born 28 October 1941) is a British racehorse owner. As a partner in Coolmore Stud, he is one of only four racehorse owners to have won both the Epsom Derby and the Kentucky Derby.
Tabor has extensive business interest ...
.
Camelot is one of many top-class horses sired by
Montjeu. Others include the
Derby
Derby ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area on the River Derwent, Derbyshire, River Derwent in Derbyshire, England. Derbyshire is named after Derby, which was its original co ...
winners
Motivator,
Authorized and
Pour Moi, the
St Leger
The St Leger Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at Doncaster over ...
winners
Scorpion
Scorpions are predatory arachnids of the Order (biology), order Scorpiones. They have eight legs and are easily recognized by a pair of Chela (organ), grasping pincers and a narrow, segmented tail, often carried in a characteristic forward cur ...
and
Masked Marvel, and the
Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe
The Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe () is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Longchamp Racecourse in Paris over a distance ...
winner
Hurricane Run. Camelot's dam, the
Kentucky
Kentucky (, ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north, West Virginia to the ...
-bred Tarfah, was a good racemare who won the
Group Three Dahlia Stakes in 2004.
Aidan O'Brien, commenting on the horse's earliest appearance in the exercise said, "With him it's natural, it's the way he is. His movement is perfection"
Racing career
2011: two-year-old season
Camelot made his first appearance in a maiden race at
Leopardstown
Leopardstown (), historically called Ballinlore, is a suburb of Dublin, Republic of Ireland, Ireland, at the foot of the Wicklow Mountains. With institutional lands and a large racecourse, it is divided by the M50 motorway (Ireland), M50 motorw ...
on 14 July 2011. Starting at odds of
1/3, he was restrained in the early stages by Joseph O'Brien (his trainer's son) before taking the lead in the final
furlong
A furlong is a measure of distance in imperial units and United States customary units equal to one-eighth of a mile, equivalent to any of 660 foot (unit), feet, 220 yards, 40 rod (unit), rods, 10 chain (unit), chains, or a ...
and winning "easily" by two
lengths from All Approved. Despite the modest nature of the race, Camelot was immediately made favourite for the following year's Epsom Derby. He was then moved directly into Group One class as he made his next appearance in the
Racing Post Trophy at
Doncaster
Doncaster ( ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city in South Yorkshire, England. Named after the River Don, Yorkshire, River Don, it is the administrative centre of the City of Doncaster metropolitan borough, and is the second largest se ...
, where he went off the
odds on favourite. He was again held up by Joseph O'Brien before taking the lead in the closing stages and winning by 2¼ lengths in "very impressive" style. Following the race, his Derby odds were cut to 3/1. Aidan O'Brien said that the colt had "looked extraordinary all the way along" and was "unbelievable at home." He also explained that while most regarded the Derby as the colt's main objective, the 2000 Guineas was also a target.
2012: three-year-old season
Spring
In early 2012, Camelot maintained his position as favourite for both the 2000 Guineas and the Derby, despite O'Brien expressing doubts about the colt's participation in the former race. On his three-year-old debut, Camelot, ridden again by Joseph O'Brien, started the 15/8 favourite the 2000 Guineas at
Newmarket on 5 May. After being towards the rear of the field in the early running, he accelerated to take the lead in the closing stages and won by a neck from French Fifteen. After the race, Aidan O'Brien said, "It's one of those unbelievable days... we always thought he was very special" and indicated that the Derby would probably be Camelot's next race. Joseph O'Brien, who gave the colt a "cool" and "supremely confident" ride according to ''
The Daily Telegraph
''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a British daily broadsheet conservative newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed in the United Kingdom and internationally. It was found ...
'' said that the race went "pretty much to plan". Camelot became a shorter-priced favourite for the Derby. O'Brien pointed out that the colt's breeding and temperament made him potentially well-suited for the race but explained that "the thing with Epsom is, you never really know these things until you go there."
Summer

On 2 June, Camelot started the 8/13 favourite for the
Epsom Derby
The Derby Stakes, more commonly known as the Derby and sometimes referred to as the Epsom Derby, is a Group races, Group 1 flat Horse racing, horse race in England open to three-year-old Colt (horse), colts and Filly, fillies. It is run at Ep ...
in front of a crowd of 130,000, which included
Queen Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 19268 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. ...
, who was beginning the celebrations for her
Diamond Jubilee
A diamond jubilee celebrates the 60th anniversary of a significant event related to a person (e.g. accession to the throne or wedding, among others) or the 60th anniversary of an institution's founding. The term is also used for 75th annivers ...
. His main rival was expected to be Bonfire, his former paddock companion at Highclere, who had won the
Dante Stakes
The Dante Stakes is a Group 2 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old horses. It is run over a distance of 1 mile, 2 furlongs and 56 yards () ...
. Other contenders in the field of nine (the smallest since 1907) included
Main Sequence
In astronomy, the main sequence is a classification of stars which appear on plots of stellar color index, color versus absolute magnitude, brightness as a continuous and distinctive band. Stars on this band are known as main-sequence stars or d ...
, the winner of the
Lingfield Derby Trial, and Camelot's stable companion Astrology, who had won the
Dee Stakes by eleven lengths.
Ridden by Joseph O'Brien, Camelot was restrained at the back of the field as Astrology made the running. Camelot moved up to challenge for the lead in the straight and pulled clear to win by five lengths from Main Sequence in second and Astrology in third. The victory made O'Brien and Joseph, 19, the first father-son/trainer-jockey pairing to win the race. After the race, Joseph O'Brien explained that the horse had struggled to cope with the descent to the turn into the straight, saying that Camelot "had only run three times before and never on a track like this, so he was looking where to put his feet round Tattenham Corner". The win gave Aidan O'Brien his fourth
British Classic win of the season and led to speculation that Camelot could become the first horse since
Nijinsky in 1970 to win the Triple Crown. Since Nijinsky, only two horses have won the 2000 Guineas and the Derby:
Nashwan
Nashwan (1 March 1986 – 19 July 2002) was an American-bred, British-trained Thoroughbred racehorse and sire (horse), sire. After winning both his starts as a two-year-old, he developed into an outstanding performer in the spring and summer of ...
in 1989 and
Sea the Stars in 2009, neither of whom contested the St Leger. O'Brien said that "every trip he's raced over, he's coped... there are a lot of options and the
St Leger
The St Leger Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at Doncaster over ...
is one."
On 30 June, Camelot ran in Ireland for only the second time when he contested the Irish Derby at the Curragh. He started the 1/5 favourite against four opponents in a race run on extremely soft ground. Joseph O'Brien settled Camelot in fourth place as Astrology made the running. Astrology weakened half a mile from the finish, and Akeed Mofeed went to the front ahead of Light Heavy. O'Brien moved Camelot up to lead on the outside two furlongs from the finish and held off the late challenge of
Born to Sea to win by two lengths despite hanging to the left in the closing stages. It was the trainer's seventh consecutive Irish Derby win and tenth in all, and made Camelot the sixteenth horse to complete the Epsom and Irish Derby double. After the race, Aidan O'Brien said that he had been very worried by the state of the ground before praising the colt's determination and indicating that he would be rested to prepare for an autumn campaign. He described the Triple Crown as "something incredible to dream about".
Autumn
After the Irish Derby, Camelot was rested until the St Leger at
Doncaster Racecourse
Doncaster Racecourse (also known as the Town Moor course) is a racecourse in Doncaster, South Yorkshire, England. It hosts two of Great Britain's List of British flat horse races#Group 1, 36 annual Group One, Group 1 flat races, the St Leger ...
on 15 September, making him the first horse to attempt to win the Triple Crown since Nijinsky in 1970. He started a 2/5 favourite for the classic, which attracted a crowd of 32,000 to the Yorkshire track. In the race, he was settled towards the rear of the field before moving up on the inside challenge in the straight, where he was briefly unable to obtain a clear run. Camelot made up ground throughout the final quarter-mile but was unable to run down
Encke, who had gained a decisive break on the field, and finished second by three-quarters of a length. (In May 2013 Encke tested positive for a banned steroid and there were calls for his disqualification from the 2012 St Leger, which would have made Camelot a Triple Crown winner.) There was some criticism of Joseph O'Brien's riding, but Aidan O'Brien blamed himself for failing to run a pacemaker.
Three weeks after his defeat at Doncaster, Camelot raced against older horses for the first time in the
Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe
The Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe () is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Longchamp Racecourse in Paris over a distance ...
at
Longchamp. The colt was set to carry a weight of 123 pounds, too low for Joseph O'Brien, so the ride on Camelot was given to
Frankie Dettori, a jockey usually associated with Coolmore's rival
Godolphin. Camelot started second favourite at odds of 3.75/1 but although he made some progress in the straight he never challenged the leaders and finished seventh of the eighteen runners behind
Solemia. After the race, O'Brien explained that the effects of a long season and the extremely soft ground had contributed to Camelot's run and announced that the colt would stay in training in 2013.
On 11 October, Camelot became ill with
colic
Colic or cholic () is a form of pain that starts and stops abruptly. It occurs due to muscular contractions of a hollow tube (small and large intestine, gall bladder, ureter, etc.) in an attempt to relieve an obstruction by forcing content ou ...
and was admitted to the Fethard Veterinary Hospital, where he underwent surgery.
In November, Camelot was a clear-cut winner of the vote for the title of
European Champion three-year-old colt at the
Cartier Racing Awards
The Cartier Racing Awards are awards in European horse racing, founded in 1991, and sponsored by Cartier. The award winners are decided by points earned in group races (40%) plus the votes cast by British racing journalists (30%) and readers of th ...
. In December, he was named Irish Horse of the Year in a poll conducted by
Horse Racing Ireland
Horse Racing Ireland (HRI; ) is the governing body of horse racing on the island of Ireland. It is based in the Curragh, County Kildare, next to the racecourse of that name. HRI was founded in 2001, succeeding the Irish Horseracing Authority, ...
.
2013: four-year-old season
Camelot began his third season at the Curragh on 6 May, when he contested the Group 2
Mooresbridge Stakes over ten furlongs. He started the 1/3 favourite and won "comfortably" by one and three quarter lengths from his stable companion Triumphant. On 26 May, Camelot started favourite for the
Tattersalls Gold Cup, but was beaten by the British five-year-old
Al Kazeem. On 20 June, the colt started the 5/2 favourite for the
Prince of Wales's Stakes at
Royal Ascot
Ascot Racecourse is a dual-purpose British racecourse, located in Ascot, Berkshire, England, about 25 miles west of London. Ascot is used for thoroughbred horse racing, and it hosts 13 of Britain's 36 annual Flat Group 1 races and three Gra ...
, but was beaten four lengths, into fourth by Al Kazeem. Camelot remained in training until the autumn but missed intended runs in the
Eclipse Stakes
The Eclipse Stakes is a Group races, Group 1 Flat racing, flat Horse racing, horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged three years or older. It is run at Sandown ...
,
Juddmonte International,
Irish Champion Stakes
The Irish Champion Stakes ( Irish: Curadh-Dhuais na hÉireann) is a Group 1 flat horse race in Ireland open to horses aged three years or older. It is run at Leopardstown over a distance of 1 mile and 2 furlongs (2 ...
and Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.
Retirement
On 14 October 2013, Coolmore announced that Camelot was retiring and would start a breeding career in 2014. O'Brien said that he felt that the horse had never fully recovered after his attack of colic. Paying tribute to the horse O'Brien said "He was the perfect racehorse, a beautiful horse with a terrific action. Speed, class and a super-intelligent horse to go with it – he had it all". In 2018, his stud fee is €30,000.
Stud career
Camelot stands as a stallion at
Coolmore Stud
Coolmore Stud, in Fethard, County Tipperary, Ireland, is the headquarters of one of the world's largest breeding operation of thoroughbred racehorses. Through its racing arm, Ballydoyle, Coolmore also has raced many classic winners and champio ...
. His fee for the year 2021 stands at €60,000 per service.
Notable progeny
''c =
colt, f =
filly
A filly is a female horse that is too young to be called a mare. There are two specific definitions in use:
*In most cases, a ''filly'' is a female horse under four years old.
*In some nations, such as the United Kingdom and the United States
...
'', g =
gelding
A gelding (Help:IPA/English, /ˈɡɛldɪŋ/) is a castration, castrated male horse or other equine, such as a pony, donkey or a mule. The term is also used with certain other animals and livestock, such as domesticated Camelidae, camels. By compa ...
''
Pedigree
References
External links
Career 1-2-3 Colour Chart– ''Camelot''
{{Cartier Champion Three-year-old Colt
Racehorses bred in the United Kingdom
Racehorses trained in Ireland
2009 racehorse births
Cartier Award winners
Irish Classic Race winners
Thoroughbred family 4-o
Epsom Derby winners
2000 Guineas winners