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Son of Camelot produces faultless performance in Listed contest
The Ed Walker-trained English King (3 c ex Platonic by Zafonic) will attempt to emulate his sire Camelot (Montjeu) in the Derby (Gr 1, 1m4f) next month and his chances of achieving that feat received a major boost on Friday as he blew his rivals away in the Derby Trial Stakes (Listed, 1m3.5f) at Lingfield, providing the stallion with his 29th stakes winner.
In what was a fast-run race, the Ed Walker-trained colt bided his time under Tom Marquand before being delivered over a furlong out and he cruised past Berkshire Rocco (Sir Percy) to run out a cosy winner. They pulled well clear of Summeronsevenhills (Summer Front), who finished another seven lengths away in third.
Walker said he is looking forward to seeing how the colt fares in the Derby next month.
“That was exciting and you just wouldn’t quite know with him,” said Walker. “He goes through the motions at home and is a very relaxed and a playful horse. It has been a fact-finding mission today and he couldn’t have done any better.
“The exciting thing is he has a high cruising speed, he has a turn of foot and he stays and those three together are the three qualities you need in a very good horse.
“We’ve had some good horses, but not a Group 1 horse. Stormy Antarctic has bashed on the door a few times, we’ve had a few others place in Group Ones, but now he is as exciting as we have had.
“We were hoping, but not expecting, because we have nothing to match him at home, so it’s really exciting.”
Purchased for €210,000 at the Arqana Deauville October Yearling Sale by Jeremy Brummit - who incidentally purchased another son of Camelot in South Australian Derby (Gr 1, 2400m) winner Russian Camelot. The colt’s Le Havre (Noverre) half brother was bought at the 2019 Arqana October Yearling Sale by John Foote Bloodstock and is now in Australia.
The colt is out of winning mare Zafonic (Gone West) Platonic, making him a half-brother to Group 3 winner Pacifique (Montjeu) and Prudenzia (Dansili), who in turn produced 2019 Mackinnon Stakes (Gr 1, 2000m) winner Magic Wand (Galileo) and 2013 Irish Oaks (Gr 1, 1m4f) winner Chicquita (Montjeu).
Platonic is also a half-sister to Pongee (Barathea), who in turn produced last year’s Cranbourne Cup (Listed, 2050m) winner Dr Drill (Dansili).
The 2012 Derby winner Camelot - who shuttled to Australia for one season - is the sire of four elite level scorers; the aforementioned Russian Camelot, Latrobe, Athena and Wonderment and he stood at Coolmore Stud in Ireland where his fee in 2020 was advertised at €40,000.
