Los Angeles Adds To Camelot’s Group 1 Tally In Irish Derby
Camelot celebrated his second Group 1 success of the weekend when Los Angeles (3c Camelot - Frequential, by Dansili) provided Aidan O’Brien with a record-extending 16th win in the Irish Derby.
The son of Camelot won both his starts as a juvenile, including a top-flight win in the Criterium de Saint-Cloud, and extended his unbeaten record in the Group 3 Derby Trial on reappearance at Leopardstown. He went on to finish third at Epsom and re-opposed runner-up Ambiente Friendly (Gleneagles) on Sunday.
Racing in touch with the leaders for much of the way, he produced a challenge under Ryan Moore approaching the two furlong pole and improved to dispute soon after. Asserting inside the final furlong, he stayed on well to deny fellow Group 1 scorer Sunway by three parts of a length, with another half a length back to Gleneagles’ Ambiente Friendly in third.
O’Brien is confident the best is yet to come from the Irish Derby hero, saying, “Los Angeles is progressing, definitely, and we're really looking forward to him. Ryan said he had a lot more class than he expected and he quickened very well when he got there. We came here thinking that he was going to turn into a Leger horse but Ryan said he has way more class than that.”
Reflecting on his second win in the race after Auguste Rodin, Moore said, “He would probably get further but the way he travelled he took me there very easy. We went hard and the horses in front all finished out the back. The other three horses all come from behind.”
Owned by Coolmore partners with Westerberg, Los Angeles was bred by Lynch Bages Ltd and Longfield Stud. He is one of three Group performers by Camelot out of the mare Frequential, who has a two-year-old colt by No Nay Never.
The previous day saw Bluestocking become Camelot’s 12th individual Group 1 winner when justifying favouritism in the Pretty Polly Stakes.