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Russian Camilla makes winning debut at Kempton
Russian Camilla (2 f Camelot - Lady Babooshka by Cape Cross) - a sister to dual Group 1 winner Russian Camelot - made a winning debut in the Unibet/British Stallion Studs EBF Fillies' Novice Auction Stakes (1m) at Kempton on Wednesday.
The Sylvester Kirk-trained two-year-old came out on top of a close finish to beat Deep Sigh (Muhaarar) by a head, while Horsefly - who is also by former Coolmore Stud shuttler Camelot (Montjeu) - was another length and a quarter away in third.
The two-year-old failed to make her reserve when offered by Camas Park at the 2019 Goffs Orby Sale, but after hearing the hype surrounding the filly’s brother Russian Camelot, Johnny and Susie McKeever of McKeever Bloodstock decided to purchase her privately.
“She belongs to us and a syndicate of speculators,” Johnny McKeever told Racing & Sports Bloodstock. “We heard through the Australian Grapevine that Russian Camelot was looking exceptional down under so we brokered a deal to buy her last Christmas and leave her in training with Sylvester who showed her to Susie and I on a frosty Boxing Day morning.
“She was all legs but just had a certain look about her. Sylvester has raved about her progress all summer but she’s still just a work in progress. She could very well be a middle distance stakes filly.”
Russian Camilla is one of three winners out of the unraced Cape Cross (Green Desert) mare Lady Babooshka, making her sister to the aforementioned Russian Camelot, who won last season’s South Australian Derby (Gr 1, 2500m) and he added to his Group 1 tally this season when he landed the Underwood Stakes (Gr 1, 1800m) in September.
Lady Babooshka, who is herself out of Listed-winning Sadler’s Wells (Northern Dancer) mare Balalaika, making her three-quarter sister to Group 2 winner Alkaadhem (Green Desert) and the dam of Listed scorer Zanetto (Medicean).
The filly’s third dam is Bella Colora (Bellypha) - the dam of Group 2 winner Stagecraft (Sadler’s Wells), Group 3 winner Mullins Bay (Machiavellian) and Hyabella (Shirley Heights), with the latter the dam of Group 3 winner Poet (Pivotal), while she is also the grandam of Group 3 winner and Group 1 placed France (Desert Prince), Listed-winning duo Media Hype (Tiger Hill) and Hippy Hippy Shake (Danehill Dancer).
Meanwhile, Bella Colora also produced unraced Bella Cantata (Singspiel) - the dam of Group / Grade 2-winning pair Caspar Netscher (Dutch Art) and Bella Sonata (Silvano).
Camelot shuttled to Australia for one season and he added a sixth elite level winner to his tally when Sir Dragonet landed the Cox Plate (Gr 1, 2040m) last month and he stood at Coolmore’s Ireland base where his fee in 2020 was set at €40,000.
Russian Camilla is catalogued as Lot 1667 at the forthcoming Tattersalls December Mare Sale.
