Top 10 horses of 2012 GB season - Part 3
St Nicholas Abbey’s misery continued, as he recently suffered a terrible loss at Longchamp in France. On a heavy surface, the Aidan O’Brien-trained failed to pose any threat to the opponents. He ran pathetically, and eventually finished 11th in
the Group 1, Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.
With only one victory this season, the 5-year-old sits at the seventh place. Owned by Derrick Smith & Mrs John Magnier & Michael Tabor, the bay horse made a wonderful start to the season. He narrowly missed the gold medal on the very first two starts.
Even after two unlucky trips, the big fellow did not lose determination, and showed plenty of improvement on his third trip of the season. In the hands of Joseph O’Brien, he demonstrated a superb show in the Group 1, Diamond Jubilee Coronation Cup at Epsom.
It was a comprehensive win for the dangerous horse, as he secured the first rank easily by four and a half lengths. Bred by Barton Bloodstock & Villiers Synd, the son of Montjeu collected a lot of praise following his first win of the season, and everybody
was expecting him to continue the winning journey.
But things slowly started turning against his favour. He finished third in three straight races before facing an embarrassing loss in France last time. After a shameful loss, St Nicholas Abbey needs an extraordinary effort to challenge those sitting on top
of the standings.
Encke, one the other hand, is aiming for more after opening his account at the graded level. The spectators at Doncaster saw him producing a huge upset. His victory over Camelot is surely one of the biggest upsets this season.
In the hands of Mickael Barzalona, Mahmood Al Zarooni’s started his run with the odds of 25 to 1, which were very low as compared to the 2-5 favourite. He raised many eyebrows by keeping Camelot at bay throughout. A strong finish helped him win the Group
1, Ladbrokes St Leger Stakes - the third and final leg of the British Triple Crown.
A mega win would have boosted up his confidence to a great extent, and we expect him to do more in future. With 348,585, the Godolphin-owned is at the 8th place now.
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