Nathaniel landed his first Group 1 win as Rewilding lost the race of life – High drama at Ascot in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes
Nathaniel announced his arrival in the 3-year-old division by beating older horses in the Group 1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot on 23 July.
The son of Galileo recorded his first Group 1 win under conditioner John Gosden.
The occasion was marred by Rewilding fatally injuring himself which cost him his life. The multiple stakes winner son of Tiger Hill badly broke a cannon bone and unseated jockey Frank Dettori, who was thrown to the ground during the incident.
Nathaniel’s reception was subdued when Rewilding had to be euthanized to put him out of his misery.
The 4-year-old bay colt’s untimely death left a bad taste, but the multiple stakes winner will be remembered for his heroics in the Royal Ascot when he won the Group 1 Prince of Wales’s Stakes on 15 June, 2011, at the Ascot, defeating the champion 5-year-old
colt, So You Think.
Prior to the Royal Ascot he demolished 13 other foes at Meydan in U.A.E when he won the Group 1 Dubai Sheema Classic on 26 March 2011.
Out of 10 starts, Rewilding won 5 races, 2 runner-up finishes and once finished third with career earnings of £2,455,418.
His rider Frank Dettori had to be helped off the field, who escaped any serious injury, but was advised to sit out for the rest of the day.
Nathaniel who was ridden by William Buick for trainer John Gosden, was sent at 11 to 2 chance, started off slow as simultaneously the rest of the riders did not look motivated to gear up the race.
Slow paced beginning got to the Mahmood Al Zarooni trained Debussy, who was reluctant to show his pace making abilities, suddenly took a pull and made a switch on the outside and rallied onwards.
William Buick sat Nathaniel off the pace and did not look ready to tow the rest of the field, he was sitting behind St Nicholas Abbey, Workforce and Debussy. Rewilding on the other hand sat at the rear content with the front runners to disperse and make
a race out of it.
Nathaniel decided to take up the challenge and put some life into the race, as he started to prance forward, the Rewilding incident left the Ascot crowd in absolute shock.
Meanwhile, Workforce had forced himself through St Nicholas Abbey and Debussy to get to Nathaniel, who was making serious strides towards the wire.
The race entered to its closing stages where Nathaniel and Workforce were adamant to give it a dramatic ending, the two colts rallied fiercely but 1 furlong out Nathaniel showed his big engine as he screamed to victory beating Workforce by 2 ¾ lengths.
It was a tragic day as Rewilding left the field with a broken cannon bone and consequently euthanized, but a good one for Nathaniel and his connections who won his first Group 1 race.
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