Following news that Derby and 2,000 Guineas winner Camelot has been retired to stud, we take a look back at highlights of the 4-year-old’s racing career in pictures.

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

Camelot — the horse who came within a length of an historic Triple Crown — has been retired from racing.

The 4-year-old — whom trainer Aidan O’Brien called “the perfect racehorse” — will now stand at Coolmore Stud in Co Tipperary, Ireland.

Camelot, by Montjeu, was unbeaten as a 2-year-old and in 2012 became only the 3rd horse since Nijinsky in 1970 to achieve the 2,000 Guineas-Derby double.

But he was denied victory in the St Leger — the 3rd leg of the Triple Crown of English Classics — by the Mahmood al-Zarooni-trained Encke, by just ¾ of a length.

Encke was one of the Godolphin horses that tested positive for the anabolic steroid stanozolol in April this year.

Camelot was being aimed at next month’s Breeders’ Cup in California until he was found to be lame this morning (14 October).

He earned nearly £2million prize money during his career but had struggled this season — following a colic operation last October — winning only 1 of 3 starts.

But Aidan O’Brien said Camelot had been working very well prior to his retirement.

“Unfortunately we never saw the same brilliance on the racecourse as we had done before his colic operation,” he said on the Coolmore website.

“But he was showing signs of it at home in recent weeks, so it’s disappointing that he won’t get the opportunity to run again.”

He added: “From the very first time we saw him at the sales we just loved him.

“He was a beautiful horse with a terrific action. Speed, class and super-intelligent to go with it — he had it all.”

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

Camelot is reportedly “doing great” after undergoing exploratory colic surgery last night (Thursday 11 October).

The Aidan O’Brien-trained three-year-old has won the 2000 Guineas and Derby this season.

And last month he bid to become the first racehorse in 42 years to win the Triple Crown, but was beaten in the St Leger.

On Sunday (7 October) he finished seventh in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.

Coolmore Stud tweeted: “Camelot’s colic surgery went well and he is doing great. The veterinary team are delighted with his progress to date.

The following day the Stud added: “Camelot has arrived at Coolmore from Fethard Veterinary Hospital and is in good shape. He is expected to return to training for 2013.”

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

It’s been a week of many mixed emotions. Two of my most favourite horses have returned to my parents – Littlemisssunshine, my first winner, now in foal to Pastoral Pursuits, has been weaned from her Sir Percy filly foal at Kirtlington and gone home.

And Dear Maurice has also gone there for a well-earned break before he returns to me to lead the yearlings and two-year-olds in December and January. Yet another string to his ever-increasing bow.

We had three runners this week, all at the tail end. The first ran a cracker at Wolverhampton on Thursday, over the minimum trip, and was just beaten into second place, first time in blinkers.

The second ran on the Friday, also at Wolverhampton, over a mile and a half – her first appearance in a handicap. She was quite heavily backed but, for some unknown reason she ran no sort of race and was lucky to beat one home.

Now, this is a truly tricky situation. How one does tell an owner that a horse one thought was capable of running a cracker in fact ran a stinker? Not an easy feat and one in which one has to tread rather carefully. Thankfully, I have understanding owners who were probably less upset than I was!

The third was the first horse again! This three-year-old filly was out for the second time in three days, once again over the minimum trip of five furlongs with her now-customary go-faster goggles, this time at Kempton Park. She once again ran a cracker but was beaten into fourth, just less than a head behind the horse which came second. This filly really has deserved to make her unlucky losing line a winning one.

Like the soldiers of the Great War, we will once again rise out of the trenches and fight again, and maybe Lady Luck will shine kindly on us.

We had a new addition to the roster in the form of a two-year-old filly by Red Clubs, the hottest sire of the moment who has unfortunately been lost to the breeding ranks. She has settled in well and, like most hearty Irish girls, has not left a scrap of food!

This week also saw the heart-breaking defeat of Camelot, Aidan O’Brien’s three-year-old flying machine, in the St Leger – the third part of what would have been a memorable Triple Crown – by Encke.

There are many theories as to why Camelot was defeated, ranging from “not good enough”, “average ride”, “something wrong” etc. As usual, I have my own view! The race was won, in my opinion, by a superlative ride from a flamboyant French boy barely out of nappies, Mickael Barzalona.

This is the very reason Sheikh Mohammed has employed him, along with Frankie Dettori and Silvestre de Sousa – moments of brilliance in high-profile races under immense pressure.

My heart goes out to Camelot and the Ballydoyle team as, for whatever the reason, he did not deserve to be beaten, but well done to the Boys in Blue.

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

The odds-on favourite Camelot failed to give racing a first Triple Crown winner since Nijinsky in 1971 when he was beaten today in the Ladbrokes St Leger at Doncaster.

The Montjeu colt, who took the 2000 Guineas and Derby earlier this summer for trainer Aidan O’Brien and his jockey son Joseph, went down by three-quarters of a length to 25-1 shot Encke.

Trained in Newmarket for Godolphin by Mahmood Al Zarooni and ridden by the young French jockey Mickael Barzalona, Encke is a son of the top American sire Kingmambo.

Ridden fairly prominently by Barzalona – who took the Derby last year on Pour Moi for Camelot’s owners, the Coolmore syndicate – Encke easily saw off a late challenge from Camelot. The latter was settled in at the back of the field along with Main Sequence, but couldn’t produce the necessary finishing speed inside the last two furlongs.

Third was the John Gosden-trained Michaelangelo at 16-1.

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

Unbeaten Flat racehorse Camelot will bid to become the first racehorse in 42 years to win the Triple Crown this weekend.

The three-year-old,trained by Aidan O’Brien will run in the St Leger tomorrow (Saturday 15 September) at Doncaster.

Camelot has already won the 2,000 Guineas and Derby this season and – if he wins the St Leger – will be the first horse since Nijinksy in 1970 to win the Triple Crown.

He will be ridden by Aidan’s son, Joseph.

“Everything has been good so far, although there are always worries,” said Aidan O’Brien.

“The horse is a very independent thinker. He is very sharp minded, very intelligent and very relaxed. We think Camelot is like no other horse. Who knows what is going to happen – we don’t take anything for granted. We will do our very best, it’s all we can do.

“Everything about this horse is different – he is obviously flesh and blood but you wonder as there is a different vibe around this horse. He is a different kind of acharacter – there is a bigger aura around him.

“He is very unusual. To be going for the Triple Crown is something I could never dream of happening. There are still days to go and then we will see what happens. That is the reality of it.

“Joseph knows Camelot better than anybody and he will go out there and do his own thing. It will be an interesting day.”

A win in the race would mean Camelot will become only the 16th horse to do the treble since Western Australian in 1853 – the first Triple Crown winner.

And if he wins trainer Aidan O’Brien will become the first trainer to win all five British Classics in a year.

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now