Camelot in focus as Dancing Gemini leads the Sandown charge for Coolmore sire

David Fish was one of those delighted to be contributing to a solid afternoon for Camelot on Friday as Dancing Gemini scored for the first time in Group company in Sandown's bet365 Mile.

Fish, who with his wife Linda breeds and races under the name Fishdance, has had quite a trip with his four-year-old colt. 

A close runner-up in last year's French Guineas and sixth to Auguste Rodin in the Derby, he is already twice a Listed winner including at Doncaster last month and stepped forward again here with fine effort up at Group 2 level, coming a length and three-quarters in front of the decorated Tamfana.

Fishdance also bred and raced the dam, Australia mare Lady Adelaide, who was a minor winner for Roger Charlton and is out of Anabaa mare Confusion, who scored over nine furlongs in France.

"We raced Lady Adelaide and we like Camelot, he's our favourite stallion," said David Fish of what was the sire's 42 individual winner at Group or Graded level.

David Fish (second right) with the Dancing Gemini team after their Sandown successCredit: Tom Peacock

"We breed from him and we've been doing it for years. We liked the fact he won the Guineas, he won the Derby, should have won the Leger. We love him."

Unusually, then, this stoutly-bred colt appears to have been making his mark over a mile, Fish adding: "His turn of foot comes from the Anabaa line in France."

Dancing Gemini is the first of three foals to have been produced by Lady Adelaide, who paid another visit to Camelot on her most recent cover.

"I've got Dancing Teapot, who is three, with Joseph O'Brien and Dancing Saxon [by Saxon Warrior], who is two, with him," Fish said. "I think this fellow goes better on good ground; everyone thinks he needs soft ground but he doesn't, he's got a very low action."

There could be another Epsom Classic challenge in store for Camelot as Tattycoram, homebred by Andrew Black's Chasemore Farm and also ridden by Rossa Ryan, got herself into the entry stage through a wildcard from the ten-furlong novice. The sire completed a Sandown hat-trick with Sing Us A Song in the concluding handicap.

"She's a proper model, as good looking a homebred as you'd come across," trainer Ralph Beckett said of Tattycoram, the half-sister to the smart Johannes Brahms.

Tattycoram beats Winter's Song in the fillies' noviceCredit: Edward Whitaker

"I thought it was a good effort today. I certainly wouldn't rule out the Oaks entry but whatever we do, we'll do with her best interests in mind."

Camelot's Coolmore neighbour Wootton Bassett was the other stallion able to add to his total through Swagman in the Group 3 Classic Trial. It was the son of Iffraaj's 11th individual Group winner from the sire's first Irish crop and it was his third northern hemisphere Group winner this year.

Swagman, German bred by Gestut Brummerhof, was knocked down to Alex Elliot, who was working on behalf of the operation, for €170,000 at the BBAG September Yearling Sale and is out of an unraced Galileo half-sister to Group 1 winner Plumania.

Read next

'That's the reason why we do it' - Schlenderhan excited by Goliath's latest mission in Hong Kong