‘I'd say Camelot’s probably going to breed more Derby winners’ - Christmas present for the Hillens as Classic-winning breeders

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There was a plunge for one of Camelot’s sons to provide him with a first Betfred Derby winner but an entirely different outcome saw the 2012 Epsom hero dominate the dramatic proceedings of 2026.

In winning the Classic, Christmas Day put Coolmore’s outstanding sire in lights, while he was also the broodmare sire of the gallant runner-up Maltese Cross. His Aidan O’Brien stablemate Pierre Bonnard, who was already one of what are now 14 Group or Grade 1 winners around the world for Camelot, was backed in the late stages but finished only seventh.

Christmas Day is bred on the reverse cross of Maltese Cross, being out of a mare by another great Derby winner of years gone by, Sea The Stars. He was bred by Stephen and Becky Hillen’s Framont Ltd. The Berkshire-based couple are particularly renowned in the industry for their purchases as agents and owners, while they were previously involved in the Australian winning machine Via Sistina.

The Hillens raced Christmas Day’s dam, Beauly, firstly to get black-type placing with Charlie Hills and then with Brendan Walsh in America, where she won a Listed race at Horseshoe Indianapolis.

She was offered at auction several times but has remained in their ownership and has produced Missed The Cut, a stakes winner by Quality Road for George Boughey and John Sadler.

Christmas Day, her fourth foal, was offered through the Castlebridge Consignment at Tattersalls Book 1 and was knocked down to Jamie McCalmont for 450,000gns, before finding his way into the ownership of Coolmore and their partners.

Stephen Hillen: Derby-winning breederCredit: Alisha Meeder

“It's massive,” said Hillen. “I always wanted to buy a Derby winner but breeding one is certainly the next best thing. It was a nice watch as you could see after two furlongs he was in a comfort zone, we're all buzzing.

"We did fancy him, it just looked like he came up the wrong side of the track at York and you had to draw a line through that but his form all around him had worked out fabulously well before that, I think that's why the money came for him in the end.”

It was already a top international pedigree, with Beauly being out of US Grade 3 winner Pickle, from the further family of the Irish Guineas-placed Gale Force Ten and the 2016 Coronation Cup hero Postponed. Beauly is boarded in Ireland and her next son has just received the update of all time.

“We still have the mare, she doesn't have a foal but she's in foal to Camelot again and she has a Wootton Bassett yearling,” Hillen added. “He's a very good yearling.

“We've always followed Camelot, he's got a huge median rating and he’s a very affordable stallion to use who can get you an elite horse. I'd say he's probably going to breed more Derby winners with the strength of the mares that are coming along and he’s starting to look like a serious broodmare sire."

Camelot, who had produced a couple of Derby-placed runners and was infamously denied a rare Triple Crown triumph during his time on the track, has sired the Irish Derby winners Latrobe and Los Angeles but this represented something even bigger.

“He’s an unbelievable stallion,” O’Brien told ITV Racing. “All horses, middle-distance, they stay, they’re tough, they have everything.”

MV Magnier of Coolmore added: “I’m really happy for Camelot. A lot of people said that he couldn’t get a Derby winner or something and were saying that the race isn’t for producing sires but now the proof of the pudding is in the eating and it’s great for Camelot and Stephen and Becky Hillen.”

Camelot, who was also a Group 1 winner as a two-year-old in the Futurity Trophy, has emerged as the main heir to his totemic sire Montjeu. He has been standing at Coolmore Stud for €60,000 this season and is also the sire of the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe winner Bluestocking as well as multiple Group 1 scorer and new young Beeches Stud sire Luxembourg.

Fitting tribute

The wide-margin Coolmore Coronation Cup success of Bay City Roller served as a fitting tribute to the achievements of his breeder John Connaughton, who died at the start of the year.

Bay City Roller (Oisin Murphy, left) wins the Coolmore Coronation CupCredit: Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)

Proprietor of the Bloomfield House Hotel in Mullingar, Connaughton was awarded the small breeder award from the Irish Thoroughbred Breeders' Association through the early exploits of the New Bay colt, who had won the Group 2 Champagne Stakes and the Group 1 Grosser Preis von Bayern during what has become a truly impressive career.

He is a €320,000 Goffs Orby Yearling Sale purchase out of Connaughton’s homebred Teofilo mare Bloomfield, a dual Listed winner over middle distances with Willie McCreery.

Selling through Church View Stables, the breeder had two more fine touches in the ring from Blue Point filly Blooming Rose, who made €850,000 and has an entry to make her debut for Joseph O’Brien at Leopardstown next week.

Resolute Bloodstock bought Blooming Rose’s yearling full-brother at last year’s Orby for €675,000. Bay City Roller is one of four Group 1 winners for Ballylinch Stud’s New Bay. 

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