Outstanding staying sire Camelot has just enjoyed a red letter weekend in Europe producing Group I Irish Derby winner Los Angeles and Group I Pretty Polly Stakes winner Bluestocking with both horses bred on the same cross and it’s one well worth noting for Australian breeders looking to utilise Camelot’s lone sire son in Australia.
Standing at Widden Stud in Victoria, dual Group I winner Russian Camelot (IRE) was purpose bought as a yearling from the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale to race in Australia and proved a resounding success.
Despite giving away an advantage in maturity being bred to NH time, the Danny O’Brien trained colt was still able to win the Group I South Australian Derby at his fifth start and trained on in the spring to win the Group I MRC Underwood Stakes before placing in the 2020 Cox Plate.
Fast forward to 2024 and Russian Camelot will have his first two year-olds racing next season and while there is no expectation of a fast start for a stallion whose profile suggests classic type offspring, he has been well received covering 373 mares in his first three seasons and has around 90 rising two year-olds.
For breeders considering Russian Camelot this year, the success of his sire Camelot’s Group I winners Los Angeles and Bluestocking does highlight the potential for Russian Camelot with Danehill line mares.
Los Angeles and Bluestocking are bred the same way being by Camelot from a daughter of Dansili with the nick producing 23 winners from 31 starters (74.2% winner to runner) and four stakes-winners so 13% SW to runner.
Obviously, daughters of Dansili are few and far between in Australia, however mares by Danehill line sires are plentiful and when we have a look at how Camelot fares with all mares carrying Danehill blood the results are encouraging.
Of Camelot’s 12 Group I winners, six of them are from mares by Danehill line sires and they include his four time Group I winner Luxembourg, who is from a daughter of Danehill Dancer.
Russian Camelot stands at a fee of $19,800 this spring and his first yearlings sold for up to $250,000 this year with his top sellers below:
