Nathaniel to feature in Red Mills Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown
King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes runner-up, Nathaniel, has entered the Red Mills Irish Champion Stakes, to pursue his third victory at the highest level. John Gosden’s charge is among 33 entries for the Grade One event, scheduled to take place at Leopardstown on September 8th.
The 4-year-old is determined to bounce back after failing to defend his title in the recently-held King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Royal Ascot. In the hands of William Buick, the 5-2 chance was in total command, but failed to add the finishing touch.
He tracked the leaders in fourth, and subsequently improved his pace to become prominent three furlongs before the finishing line. Following an excellent effort, the son of Galileo attained a decent lead over 1f out.
The dashing runner, however, could not retain his advantage, when Danedream came up with a serious challenge inside the final furlong. As a result, he missed the gold medal by a nose.
Nathaniel has a very good record at the top level. He made his graded debut on a high note, finishing second in the Group 3 MBNA Chester Vase in May last year. The maverick runner missed the top spot only by a head’s distance.
Owned by Lady Rothschild & Newsells Park Stud, the bay colt sealed two graded wins in 2011. After crushing his opponents in the Grade 2 King Edward VII Stakes, he continued his good form to secure a comprehensive win in the King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes.
The Kincorth Investments Inc-bred started off this season with a huge bang, winning the Group 1 Coral-Eclipse (British Champions Series) at Sandown earlier this month. Under his regular jockey, the dashing colt beat the 11-4 favourite, Farhh, by half a length to bag the big prize worth £241,584.60.
Nathaniel is full of spirit after a couple of fantastic triumphs and will be the one to watch out for. The John Gosden-trained initially was not a part of the entries for September’s Grade One battle, but his connections paid £20,000 to enter the field. Among other participants are: Cirrus Des Aigles, Twice Over, Main Sequence and Parish Hall, Born To Sea and Native Khan.
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