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St Nicholas Abbey Sets His Sheema Classic Record Straight

Sunday, 31 March, 2013

St Nicholas Abbey gained sweet compensation for his second-place finish in this race last year when storming down the Meydan straight to take the Group 1 US$5m Dubai Sheema Classic, presented by Longines.

Trained by Aidan O’Brien and ridden by his son Joseph, St Nicholas Abbey crossed the line two and a quarter lengths to the good of Japan’s three-year-old champion filly and Japan Cup winner of 2012 Gentildonna in the hands of Yutaka Take, stopping the clock in 2:27.7 seconds, another course record time.

Ridden more closely to the pace this year than last, when runner up to Cirrus des Aigles, St Nicholas Abbey was settled in second place behind Shareta (Christophe Lemaire), who broke the mare alertly from the inside post, and set an honest pace in front. Gentildonna  under Take tracked St Nicholas Abbey in third, from Royal Diamond, and the second Japanese contender, Trailblazer.

The race order remained largely unchanged until the turn into the home straight, when Lemaire asked Shareta for her effort, a move that was quickly covered by Joseph O’Brien on the winner. Gentildonna  challenged on the outside and it looked for a moment as if she might mount a serious challenge to St Nicholas Abbey, before it became clear that St Nicholas Abbey had too much in reserve, and ran on to score with a little in hand from Gentildonna.

Qatar’s runner Very Nice Name did best of the rest, running on for third under Olivier Peslier a length and a quarter further back, with the 2011 Melbourne Cup winner Dunaden (Jamie Spencer) who was last of all in the early part of the race making ground for fourth.  Await The Dawn finished fifth, with the pace setting Shareta holding on for sixth.

Joseph O’Brien said afterwards, “ There didn’t seem to be much obvious pace and (part owner) Derrick Smith said maybe we should ride him a bit further forward this time. This horse is very tough, very special, he gives his best every day, relaxes and finds plenty. It turns out you can ride him any way you want.”

Yasunari  Iwata on Gentildonna said of his horse “ She ran very well today and was in good form. She travelled a little wide and that maybe cost me a bit, and that’s maybe why she couldn’t catch the winner.”

ST NICHOLAS ABBEY (Joseph O’Brien )  Wins the DUBAI SHEEMA CLASSIC Group1, sponsored by LONGINES, for trainer, Aidan O’Brien , at the Dubai World Cup  on 30^th of March, 2013. 

Credit: Dubai Racing Club -  Andrew Watkins

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