Keltos (horse)

Keltos is a grey horse bred in France by Stilvi Compania Financera, the horse-breeding company of his owner Leonidas Marinopoulos.

[6] Keltos recorded his first success on his three-year-old debut in the Prix Callitrate at Saint-Cloud on 15 March as he won "very easily" by five lengths from the Alain de Royer-Dupré-trained Early Days.

[7] He was even more impressive in the Prix du Vert Galant at Longchamp Racecourse on 8 April as he took the lead approaching the last 200 metres and drew right away from his six opponents to win by ten lengths.

[8] The colt was then moved up sharply in class for the Group One Poule d'Essai des Poulains over the same course and distance on 13 May and started favourite despite racing on much firmer ground than he had previously encountered.

He was dropped to Listed class at the end of the month for the Prix de Pontarme at Chantilly Racecourse and recorded his third win of the season as he won by three-quarters of a length from Spanish Don.

[9] For his fifth run of the season, Keltos was sent to England to contest the St James's Palace Stakes over one mile at Royal Ascot in June.

After a break of four and a half months, Keltos returned in November for the Group Three Prix Perth at Saint-Cloud in which he was matched against older horses for the first time.

He stayed on well in the closing stages to catch the British gelding in the final strides and won by a short head to secure his biggest win up to that time.

[10] In early 2002 Keltos was sent to the United Arab Emirates to contest the seventh running of the Dubai World Cup on dirt at Nad Al Sheba Racecourse on 23 March.

After being hampered as he attempted to obtain a clear run, Keltos moved up alongside Noverre a furlong out and then drew away to win "comfortably" by three and a half lengths.

At the end of the month he attempted to repeat his 2001 success in the Prix Perth, but after taking the lead 200 metres out he was overtaken in the final strides and finished third behind Valentino and Svedov.

[17] In March 2005 Keltos was again sent to Dubai but his second visit to Nad Al Sheba proved even less successful than his first as he finished last of the twelve runners in the Godolphin Mile.