BOOKMAKERS INCREASINGLY appear to believe Camelot will try to bounce back to winning form in Sunday week’s Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.
After Aidan O’Brien’s weekend comments which suggested Europe’s most prestigious all-aged contest is on the radar for the triple-Classic winner, one firm has even installed Camelot as their 4 to 1 favourite for the Longchamp highlight.
The champion trainer is characteristically not rushing into a final call on whether his superstar colt runs again this season but if Camelot does get the Arc green-light he will attempt to join an exclusive Ballydoyle club.
Dylan Thomas scored a memorable victory for O’Brien five years ago but the only other Arc winners to emerge from the world-famous Ballydoyle yard were Ballymoss in 1958 and Alleged who scored back-to-back wins in 1977-78.
“There is a lot to discuss. If it is decided he is to have another race this season, we are really talking about the Arc or the Champion Stakes. And it could be the Arc for him,” the trainer reported.
Comparisons with Alleged 35 years ago are inevitable on the back of such a possible course of action. The only time that horse was beaten was in the St Leger and Camelot met his only defeat to date when runner-up to Enke in his Triple-Crown attempt 10 days ago.
“A lot of people clearly believe he’ll run and there’s been a weight of money for him,” a Boylesports spokesman said yesterday.
The star German filly, Danedream, will attempt to become the first since Alleged to win the Arc back-to-back and is disputing with the Japanese star Orfevre at the top of other ante-post lists.
Other Aidan O’Brien-trained horses remaining in contention for the Longchamp race include St Nicholas Abbey and Imperial Monarch, winner of the Grand Prix de Paris over the course and distance in July, but who reportedly has a more likely target in the Canadian International at Woodbine next month.
O’Brien’s more immediate Group One focus will probably centre on Newmarket this week after he left both Infanta Branca and Snow Queen in Saturday’s Jaguar Cheveley Park Stakes at yesterday’s five-day entry stage. Andrew Oliver’s Sendmylovetorose is also set to start in the six-furlong event.
Saturday’s other Group One at Newmarket is the Kingdom Of Bahrain Sun Chariot Stakes for which O’Brien has left in the Blandford Stakes winner Up and Dermot Weld is targeting with Emulous.
Henry Cecil has a potentially strong hand for the mile contest with the ex-French Beauty Parlour and Chachamaidee who got Leopardstown’s Matron Stakes in the stewards room earlier in the month.
Jim Bolger has left Sunday’s impressive Gowran scorer Trading Leather in the Group Two Royal Lodge Stakes on Saturday.
Ground conditions for the weekend are uncertain but local trainer Jeremy Noseda is anxiously hoping for fast going for his Cheveley Park prospect, The Gold Cheongosm, after her valuable sales race win at Doncaster.
“I was delighted with her performance at Doncaster because she won a competitive race on ground which was far from ideal for her. When horses do that you know they are in good nick,” he said yesterday.
“To me, the ideal ground for her would be firm ground. We don’t get that very often nowadays but that would be what she really wants. She did a piece of work the other day and I feel she is at the top of her game. I’m just keeping my fingers cross for faster ground come Saturday. The ground is going to be crucial,” Noseda added.
