Royal Ascot in sight as Lady Of Camelot returns

It has been a long time since Lady Of Camelot has been seen on a raceday, but with Royal Ascot on the horizon for the Golden Slipper winner, trainer Adrian Bott is expecting a forward showing in the Victory Stakes at Eagle Farm on Saturday.

Bott is, as always cautious, about what might happen, but he does expect the now four-year-old mare to show she is worthy of getting on a plane in a couple of months.

“I haven’t booked my tickets [for England], but if she is going, I’ll going,” Bott said about Royal Ascot.

“She hasn’t been at the races for more than 12 months, so you have to consider that, but I think she is going to show us that she is on track to go [to Royal Ascot].

“The only thing we don’t want is too much rain, but she will be racing because she needs too.

“There is improvement left there for the Doomben 10,000, as you would expect, but I think she is ready to race towards her best.”

Lady Camelot’s best has been up with the top of her generation. Her last win was the Golden Slipper, but as a three-year-old she was fourth in The Everest and third to Switzerland in the Coolmore Stud Stakes, before being runner-up to Private Harry, a rivakl on Saturday in the Sunlight.

She ran into Lady Shenandoah as an autumn filly being runner-up in the Surround Stakes and third in Coolmore Classic.

“She had a fairly busy time of it as a three-year-old and you can see in her form she didn’t miss a carnival,” Bott said.

“She has had that extended break, which has helped her and she has been good at home. We use the next couple of runs as a gauge to see if England is worthwhile.

“There are good reasons to go given her value, but you only want to go if she is at her best.

“I’m pretty sure she is going to show us she is back on Saturday.”

Lady Of Camelot is the $4.40 second pick oin betting behind Private Harry at $3.10.