The Robbie and Shannon Hill-trained Camphoratus could well defend her crown in the weight for age Grade 1 HSH Princess Charlene Empress Club Stakes over 1600m at Turffontein on April 18 but it will depend on the draw she lands.

The Byword mare went on last year to finish a fine 2,60 length sixth in the Vodacom Durban July and that race might once again be on her program too, although the Grade 1 Jonsson Workwear Garden Province Stakes on the same day is another possibility.

The Hills will give her one more run, or a gallop, before the Empress Club.

That run might be in the Listed Kings Cup over 1600m at Hollywoodbets Greyville on March 22, depending on the draw.

Robbie did not feel the athletic five-year-old’s performance had declined this season.

He said in her chief target for the first half of the season, the Grade 1 Gauteng Summer Cup over 2000m at Turffontein, she had been left “way out of her ground” from a wide draw and had only finished 3,10 lengths back.

He said she is a filly who needs to be left alone and added, “If you use her she doesn’t finish off.”

Camphoratus ran pleasingly at Hollywoodbets Greyville last Sunday.

In the 1400m Pinnacle event she ran on well from last to finish second to the exciting prospect True To Life.

Gareth Wright rode her in both the Empress Club and July last year and was back aboard on Sunday. 

Robbie said Wright would stay aboard as he clearly gets on well with her.

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Camphoratus comes forward on the outside to win under Calvin Habib (Pic – Candiese Marnewick/Gold Circle)

The father-and-son training team of Robbie and Shannon Hill produced the knockout blow that floored Pick 6 punters at Greyville on Boxing Day.

The upper cut came courtesy of the chestnut filly Camphoratus, who charged home at any price to win the R250 000 Gr3 Flamboyant Stakes.

On a day where the Joburg raiders battled to get a shout in edgeways,  Calvin Habib rode a beautifully judged race from off the pace on the Hill galloper, who coincidentally also gave her beautifully bred Mauritzfontein-based sire a first SA stakes winner.

After Fort Ember and the favourite Arianos Shadow had done much of the donkey work, Camphoratus moved up powerfully and went to the line with Roy’s Riviera looking her only danger.

At the post Camphoratus proved the stronger and she registered a deserved first stakes score by a quarter length in a time of 96,90 secs.

Fort Ember was not disgraced under her 62kg topweight and she held on for third a further half length away with Twice As Smart rounding off a decent quartet dividend.

Arianos Shadow was beaten just under two lengths.

Bred by Rob and Michele Pickering, who sourced and originally stood the winner’s sire Byword before he was sold on and relocated to Mauritzfontein, Camphoratus was purchased for R50 000 by Hill Racing off the 2016 KZN Sibaya Yearling Sale.

She is a daughter of Byword (Peintre Celebre) out of an unraced US bred Horse Chestnut mare Wild Camphor. Camphoratus has won 4 races with 5 places from 14 starts for stakes of R422 325.

Byword is one of 12 Gr1 winners sired by French champion Peintre Celebre (by Nureyev), and is out of former Broodmare Of The Year Binche, dam also of four time Gr1 winner Proviso. This is the same family as 2015 LONGINES Hong Kong Sprint winner Peniaphobia and US champion racemare Wandesta.