3 minute read
The late Montjeu became the first stallion in over 75 years to sire four English Derby winners when his unbeaten son Camelot took the classic by an impressive five lengths at Epsom on Saturday.
Photo by Studs
Camelot joins Montjeu's previous Derby winners Motivator, Authorized and Pour Moi to put the deceased stallion into the record books beside an elite list of stallions - namely Sir Peter Teazle, Waxy, Cyllene and Blandford - to have sired four winners of the classic.
The first three were sired their winners in the 18th and 19th centuries. Blandford, achieved the feat when Bahram won the Derby en route to sweeping the Triple Crown in 1935.
No stallion has sired five Epsom Derby winners but it is a distinct possibility for Montjeu as he has four more crops to follow his current three-year-olds.
Camelot's victory highlights the great loss of Montjeu, who died early this year at Coolmore Stud the age of 16.
The son of Sadler's Wells, himself the winner of six G1 races including the Arc and King George, has only eight crops aged three and above yet has left 25 G1 winners.
The Derby meeting underlined his great influence as another son St Nicholas Abbey was successful in the G1 Diamond Jubilee Coronation Cup to record the fourth G1 win of his career.
Camelot was bought by Coolmore for 525,000gns from the Highclere Stud draft at Book 1 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale.
He is a three-parts brother to minor winner Ideal (Galileo) out of the G3 Dahlia Stakes winner Tarfah, who in turn is out of the stakes winner Fickle.
Fickle was a granddaughter of Cheshire and Lancashire Oaks winner One Over Parr, a sister to 1974 Oaks heroine Polygamy.
Camelot descends from the outstanding Hungarian mare Kincsem, the winner of 54 races during the late 19th century.
Tarfah has a two-year-old filly by Cape Cross, a yearling colt by Pivotal and visited Oasis Dream this year.
Camelot's Derby victory is the fifth in a British or Irish Classic in 2012 by a graduate of the Tattersalls
October Sale, following on from his own victory in the 2000 Guineas and those of Samitar (Irish 1000 Guineas), Power (Irish 2000 Guineas) and Was, who won Friday's Oaks at Epsom.St Nicholas Abbey is also an October Sale graduate, being a 200,000 guineas purchase by Demi O'Byrne for Coolmore.
