Australia’s latest wonder horse, RUSSIAN CAMELOT, is worth $45million, should he go and win the Kentucky Derby.
And being Northern Hemisphere bred, plus, now thanks to the pandemic, the great race has been pushed back to 5 September, winning is highly possible.
But unlikely,” said one of his part-owners, Dan Fletcher who owns Telemon Stud (home of Sidestep, Jungle Cat and Sun City) in Queensland also.
“We did get him inoculated for overseas travel prior to the SA Derby, and even had planes booked to go abroad if he won the SA Derby, but we can’t now.
“The travel restrictions have caused us to look at the Spring Carnival in Melbourne instead. But the English Derby was high on our thoughts.”
Fletcher knows the legendary Kentucky Derby is now on in September instead of its usual first Saturday in May date, and it is a carrot to go there because winning it would make him the most valuable bit of horseflesh in Australia.
“Overall, as a group of owners I’m sure we’re remaining grounded and putting the horse first.
“He’s made history already, and we would be mindful of not overtaxing him. The long trip and racing on the dirt at Churchill Downs would probably put me off going,” said Fletcher.
But there wasn’t a specific NO to the question in there from Fletcher, meaning everything re this freakish young horse is still on the table.
Including the Melbourne Cup, although Fletcher would prefer he become a WFA star in the Spring rather than a Melbourne Cup contender.
“All of our eyes are on the Melbourne Spring Carnival at this stage. The opportunity to give him a “home ground advantage” would be more enticing than the Kentucky Derby.
“The way I look at it is if he were good enough to win races like the Epsom or Kentucky Derbys, he might be good enough to make a big impression on our Spring which would make an International target a logical next step next year?
Russian Camelot (Camelot-Lady Babooshka) already has a stunning pedigree and is bound for the barn when he retires.
His mother was unraced but is a ¾-sister to the impressive English and Dubai Group winner ALKAADHEM. She is also a half-sister to the multiple winning, stakes -placed RAISING SAND who is the mother of English stakes winner ZANETTO.
And both Russian Camelot’s grand dam and great grand dams were English and French stakes winners. His pedigree page is littered with Black Type.
Legendary Gr 1 Aussie superstars, Phar Lap and Shannon both went to North America and won major races. What illustrious company Russian Camelot would be in.
Thus far the exciting 3YO, who produced a run for the ages to win the SA Derby last weekend, has raced 5 times for 3 wins and $324,225 in prizemoney.
All the time being 9 months younger than his rivals because he was born to Northern Hemisphere time, not ours.
In the Kentucky Derby he would be one of the oldest!
