One-two for Tattersalls as Fierce Impact thwarts Russian Camelot

Two different types of Tattersalls graduate fought out the finish of Saturday's Makybe Diva Stakes as Fierce Impact held off the challenge of the exciting Russian Camelot by a head in the Flemington Group 1.

While the runner-up is one of the poster boys for the upcoming October Yearling Sales, having been bought for 120,000gns in 2018, he was just trumped by a six-year-old who had cost exactly the same sum at the 2017 Autumn Horses In Training event.

As his name might suggest, Fierce Impact is a son of the late Japanese legend Deep Impact and was bred in Asia by Keiai Orthopedic Appliance Co Ltd. His full-brother, Keiai Nautique, is a Group 1 winner in Japan.

He was originally bought by David Redvers as a foal at the JRA Select Sale and began his career for David Simcock and Qatar Racing in Britain, winning a Yarmouth maiden and picking up a Listed place before his form somewhat tailed off.

New South Wales trainer Matthew Smith bought him at the end of his three-year-old year and he has developed into an outstanding miler, this being his third strike at the highest level following last year's Cantala and Toorak Handicap. Fierce Impact was only beaten a whisker when third to Verry Eleegant on his reappearance in last month's Winx Stakes.

Russian Camelot emerged with his reputation enhanced, having been stuck wide and away from the fence over a distance some way short of his best. Danny O'Brien's lightly-raced youngster had already broken new ground for northern hemisphere colts when landing the South Australian Derby in May.

Bred by Lynch Bages and Camas Park Stud, he was bought by British agent Jeremy Brummitt as a yearling. By Camelot, he has clearly acquired his name with his dam being the unraced but well-related Cape Cross mare Lady Babooshka.

The pair are likely to lock horns again with their ultimate target being the Cox Plate.

"He was beaten by a top-class miler, who's a three-time Group 1 winner at a mile now and he's been beaten a neck, so for a first-up performance for the spring, I don't think we could ask for much more," O'Brien told Racing.com.

"Without winning, he really couldn't have gone any better."

Smith added: "For a small stable like ours to have a horse like that, it's fantastic. He's the type of horse that always just does enough. Russian Camelot is a serious horse, too. To fend him off was something."

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