Hyland Race Colours

Underwood Stakes (Group 1)

SENT out in the red, the Danny O’Brien-trained Russian Camelot produced the result most expected, winning the Group 1 Underwood Stakes over 1,800 metres at Caulfield last Saturday. Bred in Ireland to northern hemisphere time, he was sold by Camas Park Stud at the 2018 October Yearling Sale Book 1 and purchased for 120,000gns by Jeremy Brummitt on behalf of clients of Danny O’Brien.

With two Group 1s and four wins from seven starts, the Camelot colt is on a trajectory that could easily see him travel to Europe next June. “I think he’s the best horse I’ve had anything to do with, particularly to do so much so early in his career,” said O’Brien. “He’s a magnificent colt and we’re thrilled that he’s got this done today and hopefully it’s not the end of the spring for him.”

From a field of nine, Russian Camelot was always handy to the lead with Damien Oliver careful to give the horse clear galloping room. Cruising around the bend it always seemed a question of ‘how far.’

Never looking extended Russian Camelot won by almost two lengths from the Teofilo gelding Humidor and the Pierro mare Arcadia Queen. “He’s always shown us so much,” said Oliver. “It is a bit of an ask for a horse so early in his career, he’s still only a three-year-old taking on these horses. He’s been a boom horse his whole career and it’s nice when they can fulfill it. He’s kind of a classic weight-for-age horse. He has the ability to sit on the pace and also to sit back.”

Traditional path

Danny O’Brien now plans to take the traditional path to the Cox Plate, leaving open the option of a Melbourne Cup start. “Our plan is to go two weeks to the Caulfield Stakes and then two weeks to the Cox Plate.” At present Russian Camelot is a short favourite for his next two assignments and is being kept safe as an $8 equal favourite for the Melbourne Cup with Surprise Baby.

Ole Kirk’s rose tinted jackpot

De Bortoli Wines Golden Rose (Group 1)

THE Group 1 Golden Rose for three-years-olds over 1,400 metres has once again provided a jackpot to the winner, franking an estimated A$20 million onto the value of Saturday’s winner Ole Kirk. Since 2008, the Golden Rose has been won by colts in all bar one year, with all those retired standing at stud.

Trained by John, Michael and Wayne Hawkes, the colt by Written Tycoon, a A$675,000 yearling from the Inglis Melbourne Premier, came from near the tail to defeat his stablemate, the Brazen Beau colt North Pacific with the Redoute’s Choice colt King’s Legacy third.

The hot favourite Rothfire dropped out in the straight and was subsequently found to have fractured a sesamoid that will see him sidelined for 12 months.

“Bring on the Caulfield Guineas with both colts,” said a buoyant Michael Hawkes. His father John was more circumspect; “A dead heat would have been better! They are both outstanding colts, we liked them as yearlings and it’s great for our owners to get this result.”