Camelot, looking like the next stable star for trainer Aidan O’Brien, sparkled in his stakes debut Saturday at Doncaster in England, where he won the Group 1 Racing Post Trophy Stakes by 2 1/4 lengths.
England is all abuzz over changes in whip rules, but no such concerns arose in the Racing Post Trophy. Jockey Joseph O’Brien, Aidan’s son, had no use for his stick, with Camelot finishing powerfully of his own accord.
On an afternoon when the sensational Black Caviar easily ran her lifetime record to 15 for 15, fellow mare Pinker Pinker stole the biggest headline when running down New Zealand star Jimmy Choux to take Moonee Valley's $3.05 million Group 1 Tattersalls Cox Plate.
A field of 14 came through Friday’s final declaration stage for the Group 1 Prix Royal-Oak, France’s premier autumn race for marathoners. The Prix Royal-Oak is carded for 1 15/16 miles and will be contested Sunday at Longchamp over good-to-soft going.
The prospective field includes the 2010 race winner, Gentoo, who has failed to win in five starts since his Royal-Oak win a year ago. Gentoo, a 7-year-old, has finished no better than fifth in his last four races and would need a sharp form reversal to contend.
Orfevre can become the first horse in six years to sweep Japan’s Triple Crown when he starts in Sunday’s Group 1 Japanese St. Leger, the Kikuka Sho, at Kyoto, Racecourse.
The winner of the Japanese 2000 Guineas in April and the Japanese Derby in May, Orfevre warmed up for Sunday’s race over about 1 7/8 miles on turf by winning the Group 2 Kobe Shimbun Hai Stakes over 1 1/2 miles at Hanshin Racecourse last month.
By Stay Gold, Orfevre is trained by Kenichi Ikezoe for Sunday Racing Co. Yasutoshi Ikee has the mount.
Camelot, the sharp winner of a maiden race at Leopardstown Racecourse in Ireland in his career debut in July, will be a short-priced favorite in his second career start, Saturday’s Group 1 Racing Post Trophy at Doncaster, England.
Trained by Aidan O’Brien for Derrick Smith, Susan Magnier, and Michael Tabor, Camelot is listed at 12-1 in future-book betting for the 2012 English Derby. A colt by Montjeu, Camelot was a 3-2 chance on Thursday to win the Racing Post Trophy, which is run over a mile for entire colts and fillies. The race has a purse of approximately $314,000.
The Cox Plate, Australia's most important and richest weight-for-age event, will be conducted late Saturday afternoon at Melbourne's unique Moonee Valley Racecourse. In the buildup, the 2040-meter event (approximately 10 furlongs) and its expected field of 14 has been hyped as a showdown between longtime favorite Jimmy Choux and upstart sensation Helmet.
The $3 million Cox Plate, a key prep for the Melbourne Cup on Nov. 1, is the richest of nine races on Saturday’s program at Moonee Valley Racecourse in Australia. But the lucrative race must share attention with Black Caviar’s attempt to stretch her unbeaten streak to 15 races in the $300,000 Schweppes Stakes on the undercard.
Black Caviar has four rivals in the Group 2 Schweppes Stakes, which is run over about six furlongs. Black Caviar won her 14th race in the Group 2 Schillaci Stakes at Caulfield, Australia, on Oct. 8, her first start since May.
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Aventura, who missed the Japanese spring classics for fillies because of a leg injury, won her third consecutive race since her return to racing in Sunday’s Group 1 Shuka Sho at Kyoto Racecourse, the final leg of the Japanese Triple Crown for fillies.
Aventura won by 1 1/4 lengths over 21-1 shot Kyowa Jeanne. Ridden by Yasunari Iwata, Aventura stalked the pace before taking the lead in the stretch.
Campanologist won the fourth Group 1 race of his career, and second in as many races, in Sunday’s Gran Premier Jockey Club Italiano at San Siro Racecourse in Italy.
Sent off as the 1-2 favorite, Campanologist, 6, closed from fifth in a field of six to win by 1 1/4 lengths over the 3-year-old Arrigo, who closed from last in the race over 1 1/2 miles. Campanologist was ridden by Frankie Dettori. The race was worth approximately $411,000.