Camelot is driven out by Joseph O'Brien© Photo Healy Racing
Four time Group 1 winner Camelot made a winning return to action at the Curragh this afternoon as he took the Group 3 High Chaparral EBF Mooresbridge Stakes for Aidan and Joseph O'Brien (recording a double on the card having earlier won with Michaelmas .
The four-year-old son of Montjeu won the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket and the Derby at Epsom last season but failed to complete the Triple Crown as he finished second in the final leg, the St Leger at Doncaster in September.
He rounded off his three-year-old campaign by finishing a disappointing seventh in the Prix De L'arc De Triomphe but he lost shoes during that race and was found to be suffering from colic afterwards.
Sent off the 1/3 favourite this afternoon he was settled in rear off the pace but he closed into fourth entering the straight.
He was ridden a furlong and a half from home, making headway to lead a furlong out and he was pushed out from there to score by a length and three parts.
His front running stablemate Triumphant (20/1) kept on well to just beat Parish Hall (5/2) for the runner-up spot by a head.
Aidan O’Brien said after the success; "I'm delighted with that. He had big colic surgery during the winter and you never really know what way they will back from that.
"He is all class and he has great speed. I know he got a mile and a half last year but he has a lot of speed.
"Joseph said that he was seventy per cent fit today and the Tattersalls Gold Cup remains the plan.
"It was major open surgery that he had and after it he wasn’t with us for months. He was in Coolmore and I was surprised the shape he came back to us in.
"That type of surgery is massive and we are lucky to have him back.”
Camelot remains unchanged at 14/1 with Stan James for the Prix De L'Arc in October.
Additional reporting by Gary Carson
