St Nicholas Abbey (13 April 2007 – 14 January 2014) was an Irish
thoroughbred
The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed. Thoroughbreds are ...
racehorse. He was the leading European two-year-old of 2009 and recovered from a disappointing three-year-old season to win the
Coronation Cup
The Coronation Cup is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at Epsom Downs over a distance of 1 mile, 4 furlongs and 6 yards (2 ...
and the
Breeders' Cup Turf in 2011. He won the Coronation Cup for a second time in 2012 and the
Dubai Sheema Classic
The Dubai Sheema Classic is a Group 1 flat horse race in the United Arab Emirates open to thoroughbreds which are four-years-old or above. It is run over a distance of 2,400 metres (approximately miles; 2410 metres since 2010) on the turf track a ...
in 2013. In June 2013 he won the Coronation Cup for an unprecedented third time. He was briefly the biggest money-winning racehorse trained in Europe. His career was ended prematurely due to injury in July 2013, and he was euthanized on 14 January 2014 while undergoing colic surgery.
Background
St Nicholas Abbey, a bay horse with a white
star and stripe and two white feet, was bred in Ireland by Barton Bloodstock & the Villiers Syndicate, a group associated with the
Coolmore Stud
Coolmore Stud, in Fethard, County Tipperary, Ireland, is headquarters of the world's largest breeding operation of thoroughbred racehorses. Through its racing arm, Ballydoyle, Coolmore also has raced many classic winners and champions. The operat ...
. He is one of many top-class middle-distance horses and stayers sired by
Montjeu
Montjeu (4 April 1996 – 29 March 2012) was an Irish-bred, French-trained thoroughbred horse racing racehorse and sire. In a racing career which lasted from September 1998 to November 2000, he ran sixteen times and won eleven races, including ...
. Others include the
Derby
Derby ( ) is a city and unitary authority area in Derbyshire, England. It lies on the banks of the River Derwent in the south of Derbyshire, which is in the East Midlands Region. It was traditionally the county town of Derbyshire. Derby g ...
winners
Pour Moi,
Authorized
Authorization or authorisation (see spelling differences) is the function of specifying access rights/privileges to resources, which is related to general information security and computer security, and to access control in particular. More for ...
,
Camelot
Camelot is a castle and court associated with the legendary King Arthur. Absent in the early Arthurian material, Camelot first appeared in 12th-century French romances and, since the Lancelot-Grail cycle, eventually came to be described as th ...
and
Motivator, the
St Leger
The St Leger Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at Doncaster over a ...
winners
Scorpion
Scorpions are predatory arachnids of the order Scorpiones. They have eight legs, and are easily recognized by a pair of grasping pincers and a narrow, segmented tail, often carried in a characteristic forward curve over the back and always en ...
and
Masked Marvel and the
Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe
The Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Longchamp Racecourse in Paris, France, over a distance ...
winner
Hurricane Run
Hurricane Run (2002–2016) was a world champion Irish-bred thoroughbred racehorse. He was the second French-trained horse, after his sire Montjeu, to win both the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe and the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes. He w ...
. St Nicholas Abbey's dam, Leaping Water was an unraced daughter of the
Moyglare Stud Stakes
The Moyglare Stud Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Ireland open to two-year-old thoroughbred fillies. It is run at the Curragh over a distance of 7 furlongs (1,408 metres), and it is scheduled ...
winner Flamenco Wave and a half-sister of the
Group One winners
Ballingarry (
Canadian International Stakes
The Canadian International Stakes is a Grade I stakes race for thoroughbred racehorses three years of age and up on Turf. It is held annually in October at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The current purse is
Since its creatio ...
), Aristotle (
Racing Post Trophy
The Vertem Futurity Trophy is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to two-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at Doncaster over a distance of 1 mile (1,609 metres), ...
) and Starborough (
St James's Palace Stakes
The St James's Palace Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old colts. It is run at Ascot over a distance of 7 furlongs and 213 yards (1,603 metres). It is sched ...
).
As a yearling, he was consigned by the Oaks Farm Stud to the
Tattersalls
Tattersalls (formerly Tattersall's) is the main auctioneer of race horses in the United Kingdom and Ireland.
Founding
It was founded in 1766 by Richard Tattersall (1724–1795), who had been stud groom to the second Duke of Kingston. T ...
sales in October 2008 where he was bought for 200,000
guineas
The guinea (; commonly abbreviated gn., or gns. in plural) was a coin, minted in Great Britain between 1663 and 1814, that contained approximately one-quarter of an ounce of gold. The name came from the Guinea region in West Africa, from where m ...
by the bloodstock agent Demi O'Byrne on behalf of
John Magnier
John Magnier (born 10 February 1948; also known as "The Boss") is an Irish business magnate. He is Ireland's leading thoroughbred stud owner and has extensive business interests outside the horse-breeding industry.
Magnier has also been a Sena ...
's
Coolmore organisation. Like many Coolmore horse's, the details of St Nicholas Abbey's ownership have altered from race to race: he has been officially "owned" by various combinations and individuals including Derrick Smith, Susan Magnier and
Michael Tabor
Michael Barry Tabor (born 28 October 1941) is a British businessman, bookmaker, gambler and owner of thoroughbred racehorses.
Tabor regularly appears on the ''Sunday Times Rich List'' of the richest people in Britain. In 2012 his fortune w ...
. He has been trained throughout his racing career by
Aidan O'Brien
Aidan Patrick O'Brien (born 16 October 1969 in County Wexford, Ireland)[ Aidan O'Brien bio NTRA. ...](_blank)
at
Ballydoyle
Ballydoyle is a racehorse training facility located in County Tipperary in Ireland. It is a sister thoroughbred facility to Coolmore Stud, and both are owned by John Magnier, son in law to the racehorse trainer Vincent O'Brien. The current train ...
. He is named after a
Jacobean plantation house in
Barbados
Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles of the West Indies, in the Caribbean region of the Americas, and the most easterly of the Caribbean Islands. It occupies an area of and has a population of about 287,000 (2019 estimate) ...
. He is often referred to as "St Nick".
Racing career
2009: two-year-old season
St Nicholas Abbey made his first appearance on heavy ground at the
Curragh
The Curragh ( ; ga, An Currach ) is a flat open plain of almost of common land in County Kildare. This area is well known for Irish horse breeding and training. The Irish National Stud is located on the edge of Kildare town, beside the ...
on 16 August. He was "impressive" in winning a one-mile maiden race by four lengths. In September he was moved up to
Group Two class for the
Beresford Stakes. He started
2/5 favourite and won "comfortably" by three quarters of a length from Layali Al Andalus. After his win, O'Brien called the colt "very exciting and one to look forward to" while the
bookmaker
A bookmaker, bookie, or turf accountant is an organization or a person that accepts and pays off bets on sporting and other events at agreed-upon odds.
History
The first bookmaker, Ogden, stood at Newmarket in 1795.
Range of events
Bookm ...
Paddy Power
Paddy Power is an Irish gambling company founded in 1988. Its product offering includes sports betting, online casino, online poker, and online bingo. The business is split into two divisions, UK Ireland (UKI) and International. UKI operations ...
made him 8/1 favourite for the following year's
Epsom Derby.
In October, St Nicholas Abbey was sent to England to contest the
Racing Post Trophy
The Vertem Futurity Trophy is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to two-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at Doncaster over a distance of 1 mile (1,609 metres), ...
at
Doncaster
Doncaster (, ) is a city in South Yorkshire, England. Named after the River Don, it is the administrative centre of the larger City of Doncaster. It is the second largest settlement in South Yorkshire after Sheffield. Doncaster is situated in ...
. Ridden by Johnny Murtagh, he took the lead a furlong from the finish and accelerated clear to win by three and three quarter lengths from Elusive Pimpernel. The ''
Daily Mirror
The ''Daily Mirror'' is a British national daily tabloid. Founded in 1903, it is owned by parent company Reach plc. From 1985 to 1987, and from 1997 to 2002, the title on its masthead was simply ''The Mirror''. It had an average daily print c ...
'' described his performance as "brilliant" and reported that he was as short as 3/1 favourite for the Derby.
Marcus Armytage
Marcus Armytage orn is a journalist and former National Hunt jockey who won the Grand National as an amateur in 1990, riding Mr Frisk. He was educated at Eton College.
Armytage's win in the 1990 Grand National on Mr Frisk came in a record time ...
in the ''
Daily Telegraph'' described the performance as "hugely impressive" and identified St Nicholas Abbey as a potential successor to the recently retired
Sea the Stars
Sea The Stars (foaled 6 April 2006) is a retired champion Irish Thoroughbred racehorse regarded as one of the greatest racehorses of all time. He won the 2000 Guineas, the Derby, the Eclipse Stakes – the first colt to accomplish this trebl ...
.
In November, St Nicholas Abbey was named
European Champion Two-year-old colt at the
Cartier Racing Awards The Cartier Racing Awards are awards in European horse racing, founded in 1991, and sponsored by Cartier. The award winners are decided by points earned in group races (40%) plus the votes cast by British racing journalists (30%) and readers of th ...
. In January 2012 he was officially rated the best two-year-old in Europe with an "outstanding" rating of 124.
2010: three-year-old season
In March, St Nicholas Abbey performed impressively in a public trial at the Curragh, finishing clear of several other O'Brien-trained three-year-olds. St Nicholas Abbey made his three-year-old debut in the
2,000 Guineas Stakes at
Newmarket on 1 May and started evens favourite against eighteen opponents. He appeared to be outpaced in the closing stages and finished sixth behind
Makfi
Makfi (foaled 4 March 2007) is a British-bred, French-trained Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. In 2010 he won the 2000 Guineas and Prix Jacques Le Marois.
Background
Makfi's sire is Irish 2,000 Guineas and Prix Jacques Le Marois winner Dubaw ...
,
Dick Turpin
Richard Turpin (bapt. 21 September 1705 – 7 April 1739) was an English highwayman whose exploits were romanticised following his execution in York for horse theft. Turpin may have followed his father's trade as a butcher ea ...
,
Canford Cliffs
Canford Cliffs is a suburb of Poole in Dorset, England. The neighbourhood lies on the English Channel coast midway between Poole and Bournemouth. To the southwest is Sandbanks which has some of the highest property values in the world; with Canf ...
,
Xtension and Elusive Pimpernel. After the race O'Brien professed himself to be satisfied with his St Nicholas Abbey's performance, and explained that the colt had been unsuited by the uneven pace. The 2000 Guineaas was to be St Nicholas Abbey's only appearance of the season. He was still among the leading contenders for the Epsom Derby but was withdrawn after appearing to be "stiff behind" when appearing for exercise shortly before the race. St Nicholas Abbey was expected to return for a race at the Curragh in October, but was withdrawn, with O'Brien describing him as "not quite ready" although there was some speculation that his failure to run was motivated by a desire to protect his stud value.
2011: four-year-old season
In his first race for eleven months, St Nicholas Abbey started odds-on favourite for the Listed Alleged Stakes over ten furlongs at the Curragh, but finished third to the mare Unaccompanied. At
Chester a month later St Nicholas Abbey accelerated clear in the closing stages to win the
Ormonde Stakes
The Ormonde Stakes is a Group 3 flat horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged four years or older. It is run over a distance of 1 mile, 5 furlongs and 84 yards () at Ch ...
by nine lengths, recording his first victory for eighteen months. At
Epsom
Epsom is the principal town of the Borough of Epsom and Ewell in Surrey, England, about south of central London. The town is first recorded as ''Ebesham'' in the 10th century and its name probably derives from that of a Saxon landowner. The ...
in June he followed up by winning the
Coronation Cup
The Coronation Cup is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at Epsom Downs over a distance of 1 mile, 4 furlongs and 6 yards (2 ...
from
Midday
Noon (or midday) is 12 o'clock in the daytime. It is written as 12 noon, 12:00 m. (for meridiem, literally 12:00 noon), 12 p.m. (for post meridiem, literally "after noon"), 12 pm, or 12:00 (using a 24-hour clock) or 1200 (military time).
Solar ...
and three others. Ridden by
Ryan Moore he appeared outpaced by the English filly early in the straight but stayed on strongly to lead in the final 75 yards. After the race, O'Brien called the winner "a great horse" and admitted that he had "messed him up last year". St Nicholas Abbey then finished third to
Nathaniel
, nickname =
{{Plainlist,
* Nat
* Nate
, footnotes =
Nathaniel is an English variant of the biblical Greek name Nathanael.
People with the name Nathaniel
* Nathaniel Archibald (1952–2018), American basketball player
* Nat ...
and
Workforce
The workforce or labour force is a concept referring to the pool of human beings either in employment or in unemployment. It is generally used to describe those working for a single company or industry, but can also apply to a geographic reg ...
in the
and third again to
Sarafina and
Hiruno d'Amour in the
Prix Foy
The Prix Foy is a Group 2 flat horse race in France open to thoroughbred colts and fillies aged four years or older. It is run at Longchamp over a distance of 2,400 metres (about 1½ miles), and it ...
at
Longchamp Racecourse
The Longchamp Racecourse (french: Hippodrome de Longchamp) is a 57 hectare horse-racing facility located on the Route des Tribunes at the Bois de Boulogne in Paris, France. It is used for flat racing and is noted for its variety of interlaced ...
.
In the
Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe
The Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Longchamp Racecourse in Paris, France, over a distance ...
at Longchamp in October, St Nicholas Abbey, ridden by his trainer's son
Joseph O'Brien, took the lead in the straight but was soon overtaken by
Danedream
Danedream (foaled 7 May 2008) is a German Thoroughbred racehorse best known for winning the 2011 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe in race record time. She is one of only three German trained horses to win the Arc, the others being Star Appeal in 1975 a ...
and weakened in the closing stages to finish fifth of the sixteen runners. On his final start of the year, St Nicholas Abbey was sent to
Churchill Downs for the
Breeders' Cup Turf. O'Brien restrained St Nicholas Abbey in the early stages, before switching the colt to the outside to make his challenge in the straight. St Nicholas Abbey overtook the American colt
Brilliant Speed inside the final furlong and quickly drew clear to win by two and a half lengths from
Sea Moon.
At the end of the year, St Nicholas Abbey was given a rating of 124 in the
World Thoroughbred Racehorse Rankings
The Longines World's Best Racehorse Rankings (LWBRR), known as World Thoroughbred Racehorse Rankings (WTRR) before 2012, are horseracing's equivalent to World Rankings by other major sporting organizations such as ATP Tennis Rankings, World Golf R ...
, making him the fourteenth best racehorse in the world and placing him fourth in the "L" (long distance) category.
2012: five-year-old season
On St Nicholas Abbey's first appearance of the 2012 season he took second place in the
Dubai Sheema Classic
The Dubai Sheema Classic is a Group 1 flat horse race in the United Arab Emirates open to thoroughbreds which are four-years-old or above. It is run over a distance of 2,400 metres (approximately miles; 2410 metres since 2010) on the turf track a ...
, a neck behind
Cirrus des Aigles
Cirrus des Aigles (foaled 8 May 2006) is a retired French Thoroughbred racehorse. In a career which lasted from October 2008 until December 2015 he has raced in France, the United Kingdom, Hong Kong, Japan and the United Arab Emirates. After rac ...
. On his return to Ireland and started 2/5 favourite for the
Mooresbridge Stakes
The Mooresbridge Stakes is a Group 2 flat horse race in Ireland open to thoroughbreds aged four years or older. It is run over a distance of 1 mile and 2 furlongs (2,012 metres) at the Curragh in ...
at the Curragh. He was settled in third place by Joseph O'Brien as the Coolmore pacemaker Windsor Palace built up a big lead. St Nicholas Abbey stayed on strongly in the straight but failed to catch Windsor Castle, finishing second by a length.
On 2 June, St Nicholas Abbey attempted to win his second Coronation Cup. He was ridden confidently by O'Brien who held the horse up at the rear of the field in the early stages before making his challenge in the straight. He produced what the ''
Irish Independent'' described as "a brilliant turn of foot" to take the lead and went clear of his opponents to win by four and a half lengths from
Red Cadeaux
Red Cadeaux (6 March 2006 – 21 November 2015) was a British-bred Thoroughbred racehorse who was a triple runner up in the Melbourne Cup in 2011, 2013 and 2014.
Racing career
Notable performances by Red Cadeaux include:
* June 2011 - 1st in ...
and
Masked Marvel. St Nicholas Abbey was made third favourite for the
at Ascot on 21 July. He was restrained in last place by O'Brien before finishing strongly to take third place behind
Danedream
Danedream (foaled 7 May 2008) is a German Thoroughbred racehorse best known for winning the 2011 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe in race record time. She is one of only three German trained horses to win the Arc, the others being Star Appeal in 1975 a ...
and
Nathaniel
, nickname =
{{Plainlist,
* Nat
* Nate
, footnotes =
Nathaniel is an English variant of the biblical Greek name Nathanael.
People with the name Nathaniel
* Nathaniel Archibald (1952–2018), American basketball player
* Nat ...
. In the International Stakes at York in August, racing over ten and a half furlongs, he was beaten seven lengths by the winner
Frankel
Frankel is the surname of:
* Benjamin Frankel (1906–1973), British composer
* Bethenny Frankel (born 1970), American chef and reality television personality
* Charles Frankel (1917–1975), American philosopher, known for Charles Frankel Prize ...
and lost second place by a nose to
Farhh
Farhh (foaled 4 March 2008) is a British Thoroughbred racehorse. His early career was disrupted by injury and he made only one appearance in each of his first two seasons. As a four-year-old he established himself as a top-class performer without ...
. St Nicholas Abbey ran again over ten furlongs in the Irish Champion Stakes on 8 September when he finished third to
Snow Fairy and Nathaniel. In the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, run on extremely soft ground, he was never in serious contention and finished eleventh of the eighteen runners behind
Solemia
Solemia (foaled 20 February 2008) is an Irish-bred, French-trained Thoroughbred racehorse best known for winning the 2012 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. Before her win in the Arc, Solemia had won four of her twelve races, with her biggest win coming ...
. In November St Nicholas Abbey was sent to Santa Anita to defend the Breeder's Cup Turf. He made some late progress but was unable to repeat his 2011 success, finishing third to
Little Mike
Little Mike (foaled May 24, 2007 in Florida) is an American Thoroughbred racehorse best known for winning the 2012 Breeders' Cup Turf.
Background
Little Mike is a Bay (horse), bay gelding bred by Carlo Vaccarezza, who immigrated to the United S ...
and Point of Entry.
St Nicholas Abbey was given a rating of 124 in the 2012
World Thoroughbred Racehorse Rankings
The Longines World's Best Racehorse Rankings (LWBRR), known as World Thoroughbred Racehorse Rankings (WTRR) before 2012, are horseracing's equivalent to World Rankings by other major sporting organizations such as ATP Tennis Rankings, World Golf R ...
, making him the thirteenth best racehorse in the world and placing him equal-third in the "L" (long distance) category.
2013: six-year-old season
As in the previous season, St Nicholas Abbey began his season with a run in the Dubai Sheema Classic. Starting at odds of 11/4 he took the lead three furlongs from the finish and held off the challenge of the Japanese filly
Gentildonna
is a retired Japanese thoroughbred racehorse. In 2012 she won the Japanese Fillies Triple Crown and was voted Japanese Horse of the Year. She was also the first three-year-old filly to win the Japan Cup, in 2012, and the following year became th ...
to win by two and a quarter lengths. After the race Aidan O'Brien admitted that he had always felt that the horse needed to be held up in races and that the decision to change tactics and track the leader had been made by Joseph O'Brien and Derrick Smith. On 1 June St Nicholas Abbey contested the
Coronation Cup
The Coronation Cup is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at Epsom Downs over a distance of 1 mile, 4 furlongs and 6 yards (2 ...
for the third time in which he was opposed by the
Melbourne Cup
The Melbourne Cup is a Thoroughbred horse race held in Melbourne, Australia. It is a 3200-metre race for three-year-olds and over, conducted by the Victoria Racing Club on the Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne, Victoria as part of the Melb ...
winner
Dunaden
Dunaden (26 February 2006 – 30 April 2019) was a French-trained Thoroughbred racehorse. He won the 2011 Melbourne Cup, ridden by Christophe Lemaire, trained by Mikel Delzangles. The horse was owned by Sheikh Fahad al Thani and managed by Davi ...
. Ridden by Joseph O'Brien, he took the lead in the straight and won from Dunaden, making him the first horse to win three Investec Coronation Cups.
In July St Nicholas Abbey was aimed at the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes and was made the ante-post favourite ahead of
Cirrus des Aigles
Cirrus des Aigles (foaled 8 May 2006) is a retired French Thoroughbred racehorse. In a career which lasted from October 2008 until December 2015 he has raced in France, the United Kingdom, Hong Kong, Japan and the United Arab Emirates. After rac ...
,
Trading Leather
Trading Leather (20 March 2010 – 30 November 2014) was an Irish Thoroughbred racehorse best known for winning the 2013 Irish Derby. The horse died following an injury sustained in the 2014 Japan Cup.
Background
Trading Leather was a dark ...
and
Novellist. On 23 July, four days before the race, the horse sustained a serious leg injury (described as a "fractured
pastern
The is a part of the leg of a horse between the fetlock and the top of the hoof. It incorporates the long pastern bone (proximal phalanx) and the short pastern bone (middle phalanx), which are held together by two sets of paired ligaments to fo ...
") during exercise at Ballydoyle, ending his racing career and putting his life in danger. On the following day, the horse underwent surgery at Fethard Equine Hospital aimed at saving him for a stud career. On 25 July Coolmore announced that the horse was "comfortable", but remained in intensive care and had "many bridges to cross before he is considered out of danger". On the following day it was announced that the horse had suffered a "major setback" after contracting
colic
Colic or cholic () is a form of pain that starts and stops abruptly. It occurs due to muscular contractions of a hollow tube (small and large intestine, gall bladder, ureter, etc.) in an attempt to relieve an obstruction by forcing content out. ...
which necessitated additional surgery. St Nicholas Abbey made a good recovery over the following week. Coolmore released details of the surgical procedures: twenty screws and a steel pin had been inserted into St Nicholas Abbey's leg and a bone-graft from the horse's hip had been used to improve blood supply to the afflicted limb. The Fethard Hospital's Doctor Tom O'Brien described his patient as "a very, very tough horse".
At the time of his injury, St Nicholas Abbey was rated the seventh best racehorse in the world.
2014: Death
St Nicholas Abbey was
euthanised
Animal euthanasia ( euthanasia from el, εὐθανασία; "good death") is the act of killing an animal or allowing it to die by withholding extreme medical measures. Reasons for euthanasia include incurable (and especially painful) conditi ...
on the morning of January 14, 2014, due to complications from colic surgery. Coolmore Stud announced that the surgery revealed a severe strangulating colon torsion which led to the decision to euthanize on humane grounds. Coolmore thanked the surgeons and the Fethard Hospital for tending care to the horse, and thanked everyone that had sent well wishes.
Pedigree
References
{{reflist, colwidth=30em
2007 racehorse births
2014 racehorse deaths
Racehorses bred in Ireland
Racehorses trained in Ireland
Cartier Award winners
Breeders' Cup Turf winners
Thoroughbred family 16-g