Camelot heads RaceBets market for championship honours

As the 2017 Flat campaign nears RaceBets have installed Camelot as the 9-4 favourite in the market for champion first-season sire by number of individual winners in Britain and Ireland during the turf season, that stretches from March 26 to November 11.

The son of Montjeu retired to Coolmore in 2014 on a fee of €25,000 following a racecourse career that saw him win six of his ten starts, including the Racing Post Trophy at two, and the 2,000 Guineas, and both the English and Irish Derbys at three.

Next in the betting comes four-time Group 1 winner Dawn Approach at 10-3, a son of New Approach that went unbeaten as a juvenile, winning all of his six starts at two, including the National Stakes and Dewhurst Stakes.

While Declaration Of War, the most expensive of the freshman sires having retired to Coolmore on a fee of €40,000, is third favourite on 11-2, with Society Rock on 7-1, Epaulette on 10-1 and Lethal Force available at 11-1.

"We concluded that Camelot deserved to head the market for numerous reasons,” said RaceBets’ Joseph Burke. “He was an atypical Montjeu in that he won his two-year-old maiden as early as July and although that was over a mile, he proceeded to win the 2,000 Guineas on his three-year-old debut.

“In doing so he became only the second son of Montjeu to win at the top level over a mile or shorter as a three-year-old or older. The fact that the only other horse to achieve that feat is leading young New Zealand-based sire Tavistock further strengthens Camelot's chances.

"He had the class to stay the Derby trip and came so very close to winning the Triple Crown, but crucially his most potent asset was his ability to quicken off a strong pace.”

“Dawn Approach's chances of making a big impact are very evident. Having made his debut on the opening day of the Irish flat season in March, he remained unbeaten in six starts culminating in two Group 1 wins.

"He too won the 2000 Guineas on his seasonal debut, by five lengths in a very good time, and will always be remembered for bouncing back from an unfortunate experience at Epsom to win the St James' Palace Stakes just 17 days later, again recording an excellent time. That was an amazing achievement by his trainer and breeder, and Jim Bolger will obviously be key to his success as a stallion as well."

Burke added: “Declaration of War retired as the most expensive of these stallions and is well represented numbers wise and he is followed by Society Rock, a sire whom the yearling buyers were very fond of last year.

"As a close-relation to one of last years Leading First-Season Sire's Helmet, Epaulette will be expected to make a mark this year and Red Jazz, Lethal Force and Havana Gold all have chances too. The fact that Most Improved and Swiss Spirit, are available at 20/1 is evidence of how competitive the competition promises to be in 2017."

RaceBets leading first-season sires by number of winners: 9-4 Camelot, 10-3 Dawn Approach, 11-2 Declaration Of War, 7 Society Rock, 10 Epaulette, 11 Lethal Force, 12 Red Jazz, 14 Havana Gold, 16 Intello, 20 Swiss Spirit, 20 Most Improved (win bets only)