Cover image courtesy of Trackside Photography
With his extensive business interests under the Baiada banner (Steggles, Lilydale, Celestino), John Camilleri is a busy man. But aside from family there is something else he always takes time out for and that is of course, racing.
Most well known as the breeder of the mighty Winx (Street Cry {Ire}), Camilleri is passionate about the sport he basically stumbled into over a dinner at Kingsley’s Steakhouse 27 years ago.
John Camilleri | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
Syndicator Harry Lawton was at the table that fateful night and with him he had photos of two horses.
“I knew nothing about horses,” Camilleri admitted, “and I just pointed at one photo and said 'I like the dark one!”
“That was the extent of my due diligence, no vetting, no looking at the pedigree. Just a horse chosen over a sirloin steak!”
“That was the extent of my due diligence, no vetting, no looking at the pedigree. Just a horse chosen over a sirloin steak!” - John Camilleri
“I chose the right photo,” he said, noting that the second horse amounted to nothing, whilst he is able to look back at the career of the $40,000 yearling Fairway (Danzero), winner of ten races including three at Group 1 level.
Though it was a Group 2 success that sticks in the minds of many including his happy owners; Fairway's defeat of Sunline (NZ) (Desert Sun {GB}) in the 2000 Turnbull Stakes at Flemington.
“That was a very special day, we didn't expect to beat Sunline but he showed a lot of tenacity. To have my first horse do that, you don't forget moments like that.”
Fairway | Image courtesy of Sportpix
The Fairway name lives on as Camilleri named his breeding and racing commodity after the horse who kicked it all off for him.
Fast forward to 2025 and Camilleri was again in the winner's circle with Sunshine In Paris (Invader) storming home to grab Rothfire (Rothesay) right on the line in the G1 Doomben 10,000 last weekend.
Camilleri was on course cheering home his $3.9 million 2023 Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale purchase.
“We had to pay a high price for her, it is hard to buy those sort of fillies,” he said, describing Sunshine In Paris as “a lovely type, a medium sized mare with good balance and a lovely head.”
“We had to pay a high price for her, it is hard to buy those sort of fillies, a lovely type, a medium sized mare with good balance and a lovely head.” - John Camilleri
“It was a pretty special win, she was so tough on the line. 100 metres out and I thought she was running for fifth!”
Sunshine In Paris Everest Bound
As an Everest slot holder, Camilleri has plenty to look forward to with his mare who heads for a break in preparation for that rich contest.
“We could've pushed on to the Kingsford-Smith and the Tatt's Tiara but I'm happy to have her in the paddock,” he said.
“The Everest is the logical race for her, it makes sense to have our own horse race in our slot.”
Camilleri is taken by Sunshine In Paris' personality, noting that “staff tell me that you have to be careful with her. She knows who she is, she knows she is good!”
Sunshine In Paris winning the G1 Doomben 10,000 | Image courtesy of Trackside Photography
Camilleri is keen to race Sunshine In Paris on for another year though he does have another recent stakes winner likely to be heading to stud this season, that being the G3 Hawkesbury Crown winner City Of Lights (Deep Impact {Jpn}).
“That was a well earned win," he said of the consistent mare's deserved stakes success. “She will probably have a couple more starts then head to stud. Being a stakes winner with her pedigree she will need to go to a top end, proven stallion.”
City Of Lights is of course the half-sister to Winx, part of a three filly package of Deep Impact fillies bred by Camilleri.
City Of Lights | Image courtesy of Georgia Young Photography
And what a successful venture that was, with As Time Goes By also a stakes winner, taking out the Listed Clare Lindop Stakes at Morphettville two years ago.
“I sent her to the UK, her first foal is by Frankel. She missed this year and is coming back home though I am yet to decide which stallion she is going to.”
As Time Goes By is a daughter of one of Camilleri's favourite horses, the dual Group 3 winner A Time For Julia (Redoute's Choice) who he named after his first daughter.
“When she won the Wenona Girl we had the whole family on course and that was a very special day.”
“When she (As Time Goes by) won the Wenona Girl we had the whole family on course and that was a very special day.” - John Camilleri
With so many great racing moments Camilleri finds it hard to pinpoint the very best of those though Winx's entire career is of course a highlight.
As a commercial breeder, the decision to sell Winx as a yearling sits well though Camilleri does wonder if he chose the right sale for her with the bay a bit backward when she made her way through the Magic Millions sales ring.
“I do wonder how she would've gone being held back for Easter,” he said though happy that Winx ended up where she did.
Winx | Image courtesy of Sportpix
Vegas Showgirl: Rule-breaker
And he remains proud of the achievements of Winx whose dam Vegas Showgirl (NZ) (Al Akbar) broke most of Camilleri's rules in regards to buying a broodmare.
“Her pedigree was weak and whilst she was a Listed winner they were not strong Listed races,” he recalled.
“We usually buy on the works; pedigree, type, performance but with her it was all about her looks.”
Vegas Showgirl | Image courtesy of Loveracing
“She was a stunning, stunning mare and we pinned our faith on how she looked.”
Faith that was well rewarded with Winx and City Of Lights joined by El Divino (Snitzel) as stakes winners for Vegas Showgirl whose grandson Enriched (I Am Invincible) won the G2 Arrowfield Sprint Stakes and the Listed Fireball Stakes during his latest campaign.
“She (Vegas Showgirl) was a stunning, stunning mare and we pinned our faith on how she looked.” - John Camilleri
Sadly, Vegas Showgirl died two years ago, but Camilleri still has daughters including the lightly raced Wings Of Desire (Pride Of Dubai) and Covent Garden (Exceed And Excel) whose first live foal, a colt by I Am Invincible, was purchased by Tom Magnier for $1.8 million at the recent Inglis Easter Yearling Sale.
They are amongst the "usual number" of around 27 Fairway broodmares who call Segenhoe home.
Camilleri, who also bred the G1 Golden Slipper Stakes winner Vancouver and the G1 Queensland Derby winner Dariana (Redoute's Choice), also has half a dozen boarding at Adrian O'Brien's Hazelwood Bloodstock at Newmarket.
Dubawi | Standing at Darley
“I visit at least once a year, in October to coincide with the Tattersalls sales and sometimes earlier in the year for business,” he said, noting that whilst he has thoroughly enjoyed his international success, he does have one regret, the selling of the high class mare In Italian (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}).
“I sent the mare to the UK because I wanted a Dubawi filly and then I sold her, it was not the cleverest thing I've ever done but you move on!” he laughed.
“I sent the mare (Florentina) to the UK because I wanted a Dubawi filly and then I sold her, it was not the cleverest thing I've ever done but you move on!” - John Camilleri
The mare was the G3 Gold Coast Guineas winner Florentina (Redoute's Choice) and her daughter In Italian who, after fetching 475,000 guineas at the 2019 Tattersalls October Yearling Sale, headed to the United States where she won four times at Group 1 level.
Elite bunch in Newmarket
Describing his northern hemisphere mares as “a small but elite bunch,” Camilleri has been utilizing the services of such outstanding stallions as Frankel (GB), Dubawi (Ire), Kingman (GB), Too Darn Hot (GB), Camelot (GB) and Dark Angel (Ire).
He has enjoyed not only racetrack but also sales ring success with his mares in the UK, a Kingman colt out of the G3 Blue Diamond Prelude winner One Last Dance (Encosta de Lago) fetching 1.8 million guineas.
That mare is now back in Australia, served last spring by Home Affairs. Her yearling filly by that same stallion sold at this year's Magic Millions for $625,000 to KPW Bloodstock.
Home Affairs | Standing in Coolmore Australia
Meanwhile a Dubawi (Ire) colt out of Ring The Bell (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) sold for $1.5 million guineas with Camilleri racing that mare's Listed winning daughter Sounds Of Heaven (GB) (Kingman {GB}) who is now in Australia; winning at Randwick last spring and finishing second in the G3 Epona Stakes in March.
Camilleri sent the Listed Morphettville Guineas winner Fiera Vista (Exceed And Excel) north last year, that mare currently in foal to Too Darn Hot (GB).
That mating produces a foal bred on the same Too Darn Hot/Exceed And Excel cross as the stakes winners Tropicus and Hot Darling (Ire) and Camilleri is looking forward to the result, very happy with the start Fiera Vista has made to her stud career with her second foal, the $1.6 million Magic Millions graduate Wodeton (Wootton Bassett {GB}) stamping himself as one of this season's better juveniles.
Wodeton | Image courtesy of Sportpix
Camilleri enjoys this time of year, the planning that goes into each mating. He and Segenhoe's Peter O'Brien research separately, coming together to "argue" over which mares go where.
“I love the process. Peter and I have our disagreements, I enjoy the clash!”
It has been a great partnership with O'Brien, Camilleri noting that “he has been pivotal in the success that we have had. And he has become very much a great friend as well.”
“He (Peter O'brien) has been pivotal in the success that we have had. And he has become very much a great friend as well.” - John Camilleri
Camilleri kicks off his research studying stallions, looking for “the right sort of horse.”
“I then look at the pedigrees, trying to avoid the close in-breeding whilst covering all the reference points.”
A fascinating game
Camilleri has been a keen student of all things pertaining to thoroughbred breeding with one of his favourite winter pastimes being “putting the fire on and reading a breeding book from cover to cover and back again!”
“It's a fascinating game and you keep learning, anyone who thinks they know it all is fooling themselves.”
“So I keep reading, learning and observing. Then I just hope for the luck, to have a good tailwind behind me!”
“So I keep reading, learning and observing. Then I just hope for the luck, to have a good tailwind behind me!” - John Camilleri
Other mares heading to stud for Fairway this spring include the dual Group 3 winner Argentia (Frankel {GB}) who is due in September with her first foal by I Am Invincible, the home-bred Listed Gold Bracelet winner Dynasties (Sebring) who is another in foal to Too Darn Hot (GB) and the Listed Incognitus Stakes winner Sangria (I Am Invincible) in foal to Zoustar.
As well as the Group 3-placed city winner Kundalini (I Am Invincible) and the lightly raced Darling Point (Lonhro) whose first foal Kirribilli (Snitzel) is a Group 3 placed winner from just three starts to date.
Fairway's mares visit the best of stallions with those on the list for this spring including Too Darn Hot (GB), Wootton Bassett (GB), City Of Troy (USA), Harry Angel (Ire), Anamoe, Broadsiding and I Am Invincible.
“If Too Darn Hot keeps producing the 2-year-olds he has he is all set,” Camilleri said.
“Wootton Bassett is doing a good job out here as is Harry Angel who has had a really good year.”
“Peter has seen City Of Troy and said that he is a lovely horse and everyone is saying that Anamoe's first foals are beautiful.”
“I saw Broadsiding race, he is an absolutely gorgeous horse and I am sure he will be popular. And I Am Invincible, he is a terrific stallion!”
