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Johnny Allen rides 9th Group 1 winner in Australia

Johnny Allen (2nd from left) with old weigh room colleagues John Cullen, Kevin Coleman and Paul CarberryJohnny Allen (2nd from left) with old weigh room colleagues John Cullen, Kevin Coleman and Paul Carberry
© Healy Racing Photos

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.

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."