Camelot’s Los Angeles Defies Group 1 Penalty With Battling Success in the Great Voltigeur

Despite the late scratching of Derby fourth Deira Mile (Ire) (Camelot {GB}), York’s G2 Sky Bet Great Voltigeur Stakes still produced a thrilling finish as Coolmore and Westerberg’s G1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud and G1 Irish Derby hero Los Angeles (Ire) (Camelot {GB}–Frequential {GB}, by Dansili {GB}) defied a five-pound Group 1 penalty in the near 12-furlong test.

The 5-4 favourite settled in the wake of stablemates Euphoric (GB) (Frankel {GB}) and Illinois (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), himself racing under a three-pound Group 2 penalty, as the five-runner field raced in single file until turning for home. Nudged along in early straight, Los Angeles arrived on the front end going well with a quarter-mile remaining and came under a late drive to withstand the renewed effort of Illinois and late thrust of King’s Gambit (Ire) (Saxon Warrior {Jpn}) by a neck and the same. The winner became the first horse since Belmez (El Gran Senor) in 1990 to successfully carry a Group 1 penalty in the contest, albeit from a small sample size.

Tough cookie

Irish Derby winner Los Angeles lasts out in an exciting finish to the @SkyBet Great Voltigeur for Ryan Moore, Aidan O’Brien and @Ballydoyle.

The first horse to carry a Group One penalty to victory in this race since 1990! @yorkracecourse pic.twitter.com/VXucYIV1Mh

— Racing TV (@RacingTV) August 21, 2024

Wednesday, York, Britain
SKY BET GREAT VOLTIGEUR STAKES-G2, £267,500, York, 8-21, 3yo, c/g, 11f 188yT, 2:27.80, g/f.
1–LOS ANGELES (IRE), 133, c, 3, by Camelot (GB)
1st Dam: Frequential (GB), by Dansili (GB)
2nd Dam: Violante, by Kingmambo
3rd Dam: Allez Les Trois, by Riverman
O-Westerberg, Susan Magnier, Michael Tabor & Derrick Smith; B-Lynch Bages Ltd & Longfield Stud (IRE); T-Aidan O’Brien; J-Ryan Moore. £151,699. Lifetime Record: G1SW-Fr & Ire, G1SP-Eng, 6-5-0-1, $1,382,839. *Full to Be Happy (Ire), GSP-Fr & SP-Eng; and Hector De Maris (Ire), GSP-Ire. Werk Nick Rating: A++. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Illinois (Ire), 131, c, 3, Galileo (Ire)–Danedrop (Ire), by Danehill. O-Derrick Smith, Susan Magnier & Michael Tabor; B-Coolmore (IRE); T-Aidan O’Brien. £57,513.
3–King’s Gambit (Ire), 128, c, 3, Saxon Warrior (Jpn)–Pure Symmetry, by Storm Cat. (125,000gns Ylg ’22 TATOCT). O-Mohammed Jaber; B-Roundhill Stud (IRE); T-Harry Charlton. £28,783.
Margins: NK, NK, 1. Odds: 1.25, 3.50, 2.25.
Also Ran: Space Legend (Ire), Euphoric (GB). Scratched: Deira Mile (Ire).