St Nicholas Abbey turns historic three-peat in Coronation
Cup
Three years ago, the Derby happened without St Nicholas Abbey after he was
ruled out late due to an injury, but the leading European money earner of all
time at nearly £5 million has made up for that misfortune by exercising an iron
grip on the Group 1 Coronation Cup over the same course and distance at Epsom.
Few expected the five-times top-level scorer to be denied an unprecedented
third renewal by his sole serious rival Dunaden in this impoverished edition,
and the market confidence proved correct once again. Patiently ridden by his
number one fan Joseph O’Brien with only that foe behind early, he was in cruise
control as he was moved up to take command approaching the quarter-pole. Any
thoughts of a match were quickly dispelled, with Ballydoyle’s six-year-old
pointing his toe and rushing to the line to make history with real authority.
“He has matured over the winter and lobs down to the start on a long rein now
and it’s the same in his races, so you can put him where you like,” his rider
explained.
“In his blow at home he was exceptional the other morning and he’s much
better than ever, so he’s a force to be reckoned with. He loves this place and
the undulations and never puts a foot wrong — he’s so well-balanced and has so
much pace I never had a moment’s worry.
“We hope this year he can show what we hoped he would over the last couple of
years. He’s entitled to be up there with the best of them now.”
This was the 11th time that St Nicholas Abbey has been on a left-handed track
and his seventh win accordingly, with nine of those outings coming over this
about 1 1/2-mile trip or further. Only Cirrus des Aigles has managed to overcome
him when racing under his ideal conditions in last year’s Dubai Sheema Classic,
which he returned to garner at the end of this March. That was his first start
since he was unable to defend his crown in the Breeders’ Cup Turf at Santa Anita
in November, which came at the end of a busy spell during which he was made to
look ordinary by Frankel in the Juddmonte International over an extended
10-furlong trip at York in August.
Now that the way is clear of that heavyweight, the major races could be at
the mercy of Derrick Smith’s apparently improved performer, and his proud owner
is looking forward to campaigning him aggressively.
“He’s a horse I have loved from the first time he ran and dare I say, he’s
better than he ever was,” he said. “The King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes
(at Ascot July 27) springs to mind and we might go to the (June 22) Hardwicke
Stakes there first and keep running him.”
Trainer Aidan O’Brien added, “He’s an incredible horse and has everything you
want in a racehorse — he travels and quickens and is a joy to be around. Joseph
said he has been very fresh for the last three weeks as it’s been a while since
he ran.
“What everyone forgets is he won a Racing Post Trophy with speed as a
two-year-old, so he had that class all the time and the trainer destroyed him at
three. It’s possible he’ll go to Royal Ascot for the Hardwicke, as he would have
to go away for a racecourse gallop before the King George anyway.”
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