What Next For Camelot After Failed Triple Crown Bid?
17/09/12

After months of anticipation and a build-up to a race that for the first time in many years had put UK racing's oldest classic back in the headlines, Saturday's St Leger failed to deliver what every fan had hoped to see, the crowning of the first "Triple Crown" winner since Nijinsky in 1970.

Camelot
Racehorse Photos

It was up to the 2/5 favourite, Camelot, to achieve that feat but the Aidan O'Brien trained Colt sadly failed in his attempt to re-write the history books as he could only finish second to the Godolphin trained Encke, who was a 25/1 outsider in the nine runner field.

Encke drew a line through the formbook and the third place he achieved in the Great Voltigeur Stakes at York last month, improving out of all recognition to comfortably win this stayers classic by lengths from the favourite. It confirmed Al Zarooni as a major player in the training world and puts him arguably ahead now of his training team mate of Godolphin, Saeed Bin Suroor, who had previously saddled five winners of the 1m6f Classic for the "men in blue".

The result also demonstrated the wonderful ability of jockey, Mickael Barzalona, who was winning his second British Classic after winning the 2011 Epsom Derby on Sea The Stars was the last 2000 Guineas and Derby winner who could have gone to Doncaster but instead opted for the Arc and that now is sure to be the way of most other "potential superstars".

In the meantime, where Camelot will be next seen, if at all, remains a question we await to find out the answer of.