Johnny Allen rides 9th Group 1 winner in Australia

Tipperary born jockey Johnny Allen has added the South Australian Derby to his list of achievements down under.

The 35-year-old rode a treble on the afternoon at Morphettville racecourse in Adelaide including when landing the A$400,000 Group 1 Derby aboard the Irish bred Russian Camelot.

This was the first time a northern hemisphere bred colt has won a Derby in Australia and the victory has shot the youngster to the head of the market for November's Melbourne Cup.

Russian Camelot was 144 days and more younger than all of his rivals in the race.

Outstanding win by #RussianCamelot in the G1 SA Derby for @DOBrienRacing and @JohnnyA_24. The Irish jockey was patient on the Irish-bred son of @coolmorestud's #Camelot, purchased from @Tattersalls1766 for 120k GNS as a yearling. 🎥Racing pic.twitter.com/RaCkGMMctK

— ANZ Bloodstock (@anz_news) May 9, 2020

Russian Camelot is trained by Danny O'Brien who won last year's Melbourne Cup with Vow And Declare.

Johnny Allen who emigrated to Australia at the end of the 2011/12 National Hunt season in Ireland said: "Obviously he's an exceptional horse. If he can beat them now, when he's only just turned three, imagine what he can do in six months or a year's time."

"Danny filled me with confidence. He said, ‘ride this horse like he was the best horse' and he was confident if he was close enough on the corner that he'd have a better turn of foot and it proved that way. He's just a superior horse."