First City Winner for Russian Camelot

Victorian trainer Danny O’Brien has enjoyed the highs of Group 1 success with now Widden Stud-based Russian Camelot (IRE), and on Wednesday he celebrated another milestone – his emerging sire’s first metropolitan winner. That honour belonged to Censori, a three-year-old filly O’Brien knows intimately, having bred and retained her in partnership with his wife. Making her debut in a 1200m maiden for fillies at Sandown, Censori impressed connections with a composed performance under Jamie Mott, slicing through along the inside to win by just under a length. “We really just brought her here to have a good experience, so for her to win as she did has probably surprised us,” O’Brien admitted. “She’s only had a couple of trials so there is a lot of upside to come from her.” Mott echoed that view. “She surprised me and probably surprised the team as well with the turn of foot she showed,” he said. “They were thinking she would need further by the way that she is bred, but she was sharp today and dominant at the finish even though she has a lot to learn. She’ll definitely be better over further and will learn a lot from the run.” Censori was offered through Inglis Digital in 2023, alongside her dam, to dissolve the original ownership structure. The filly remains in the O’Brien stable, continuing a proud family tradition. “We bred her dam Berkshire Lady, who was placed in a Tassie Oaks, and I also trained the grand-dam Placement, who was by Savabeel and went right through in the spring to place in a Wakeful Stakes and an Oaks,” O’Brien said. “It’s not often you have three generations of the same family to train.” By Star Witness, Berkshire Lady has a two-year-old colt by Russian Camelot and is due to foal to him again this spring. As for Censori, a patient path lies ahead, with O’Brien suggesting she may eventually emulate Placement and target the classics. “We never expected Russian Camelot to get 2YO winners, but he was a very talented and naturally gifted horse and I’ve had several through the stable that have all shown ability,” he said. “I have another two or three that will run over the next few months, so hopefully they will get some momentum going for him. People are far too quick to judge these classic-type sires. You have to give them right until the end of the autumn next year before you make any sort of judgement. I’m old enough to remember Zabeel and Savabeel and how it was for them – and even The Autumn Sun, he took right until the end of that season to show his worth.” Russian Camelot is by champion staying sire Camelot from an elite European female family and was purpose bought as a yearling at the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale to race in Australia. “Russian Camelot was everything we always hoped he would be and even won the Gr1 SA Derby despite giving away six months in age to his rivals,” O’Brien recalled. “He won the Gr1 Underwood Stakes (1800m) and was third in a Cox Plate after drawing wide on a bottomless track and you could easily argue that with a better gate and better ground he would have won that Cox Plate.” Russian Camelot is the exact type of horse Australian owners are targeting at the European tried horse sales and he stands at Widden Victoria at a fee of $16,500.