ST NICHOLAS ABBEY ON CLASSICS ROAD
Thursday, October 29, 2009 at 11:33AM 
Click above to watch St Nicholas Abbey in the G1 Racing Post Trophy
(Please excuse the commentary…)
(Footage : At The Races)
ST NICHOLAS ABBEY
G1 RACING POST TROPHY 2009
Backing up a first pattern score in last month’s G2 Juddmonte Beresford Stakes at The Curragh, St Nicholas Abbey (Ire) (Montjeu) laid down a spectacular marker for next season’s Classics with a hugely impressive triumph in Saturday’s G1 Racing Post Trophy at Doncaster.
Ridden with patience from the outset, the 13-8 favorite settled Britain’s final Group 1 contest of the year in an instant. He quickened to the front approaching the final furlong and burst clear thereafter to easily defeat Elusive Pimpernel (Elusive Quality) by 3 3/4 lengths.
“I was concerned about the ground because he’s a very light moving horse,” admitted trainer Aidan O’Brien, who claimed his fifth renewal with the win. “When you see a horse that can relax, travel and quicken the way he does, it’s very exciting. He’s a natural, and all we have to do is mind him. He has that real speed a miler needs to have.”
Aidan O’Brien had trained four previous winners of this end-of-season championship, but bridged a seven year gap since the 2002 success of Brian Boru (GB) (Sadler’s Wells) with the scintillating performance of St Nicholas Abbey.
Stepping out with a four-length debut success going a mile at The Curragh August 16, St Nicholas Abbey confirmed initial promise with a cozy win in the G2 Juddmonte Beresford Stakes back over that course and distance in his only other go September 27.
Jockey Johnny Murtagh employed patience from flag-fall in this sterner test, and positioned his mount behind all 10 rivals. Cruising into contention passing the two pole, St Nicholas Abbey put the race to bed in one fell swoop, and left his rivals for dust thereafter to earn quotes as low as 5-2 for next term’s G1 2000 Guineas and G1 Investec Derby.
“He’s an exciting horse with great speed,” said Johnny Murtagh. “He has a great cruising gear and a great turn of foot. When I got him out running to the furlong pole, I asked him to quicken and it was all over.”
RECENT WINNERS OF THE G1 RACING POST TROPHY
| YEAR | WINNER | SIRE | TRAINER |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Crowded House | Rainbow Quest | Meehan |
| 2007 | Ibn Khaldun | Dubai Destination | bin Suroor |
| 2006 | Authorized | Montjeu | Chapple-Hyam |
| 2005 | Palace Episode | Machiavellian | Ryan |
| 2004 | Motivator | Montjeu | Bell |
| 2003 | American Post | Bering | Head-Maarek |
| 2002 | Brian Boru | Sadler’s Wells | O’Brien |
| 2001 | High Chaparral | Sadler’s Wells | O’Brien |
| 2000 | Dilshaan | Darshaan | Stoute |
| 1999 | Aristotle | Sadler’s Wells | O’Brien |
| 1998 | Commander Collins | Sadler’s Wells | Chapple-Hyam |
Extract from Thoroughbred Daily News
