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epsom derby festival 2013/

St Nicholas Abbey Claims Coronation Hat-Trick
01/06/13

1 St Nicholas Abbey 30/100F
2 Dunaden 4/1
3 Joshua Tree 10/1
5 ran Distances: 3¾l, 7l, 5l
TIME 2m 37.76s (slow by 2.96s)

Trainer Aidan O’Brien paid tribute to St Nicholas Abbey after the six-year-old became the first horse to win three Investec Coronation Cups.

St Nicholas Abbey
© Racehorse Photos

The son of Montjeu saw off Dunaden to run out an impressive three and three-quarter lengths winner.

“He is a great horse, an incredible horse. He has everything you want in a racehorse – he settles, travels and quickens. It’s a joy to be around him and it’s a real privilege to be involved with him,” said O’Brien.

“Joseph said that he has been very fresh the past two or three weeks. Chamonix leads him every day and St Nicholas Abbey was getting a bit bold – it’s been a while since he ran – but he was fine when we brought Chamonix over to him in the paddock. He is just very well, really.

“He is a great traveller – he comes down the hill and he slowly moves up the gears. He is very classy and everyone forgets that he won the Racing Post Trophy by five or six lengths. He turned on the speed as a two-year-old so he had that class the whole time. Obviously, his trainer destroyed him at three and it took him three years to get back. He is an incredible horse.

“The lads were saying that they might bring him back for the Hardwicke Stakes. It’s very possible that he might go there on the way to the King George. If he doesn’t go to Royal Ascot, he will probably have to go away for a racecourse gallop anyway, so it’s possible he will go there.”
Jockey Joseph O’Brien added: “Whatever it was over the winter, he has matured. He goes down to the start on a long rein, he goes on a long rein in his races and you can put him anywhere you like.

“He was exceptional in his blow at home the other morning – much better than he ever has been – and he is a force to be reckoned with this year.

“He loves this place and never puts a foot wrong here. He loves the undulations and is so balanced. He’s entitled to be rated up there with some of the very best horses, he’s very, very good.”

Investec Coronation Cup (Group 1)
£350,000 added, 4yo plus, 1m 4f 10y, Class 1
5 ran
Going: Good, Good to Soft in places