RACING:ST NICHOLAS Abbey, the horse plenty speculated would never be seen on a racecourse again, is set to return to action at the Curragh tomorrow with Séamus Heffernan on his back.
Aidan O’Brien’s European champion juvenile of 2009 hasn’t been seen in action since failing to live up to some sky-high billing as a potential new Sea The Stars in last year’s 2,000 Guineas.
A lot has changed since then, not least of which has been jockey Johnny Murtagh’s decision to bail out of Ballydoyle stables, which leaves Heffernan in this weekend’s hot seat.
St Nicholas Abbey is one of eight lining up for the Listed Geegeez Alleged Stakes over a mile and a quarter, the same course and distance that saw speculation last October about a possible late-season reappearance in the Finale Stakes.
That didn’t happen, and after a stop-start, will-he-won’t-he season there were plenty willing to write the spectacular Racing Post Trophy winner as just another top two-year-old that failed to live up to his potential.
Such a summary may yet prove to be accurate but it is significant that St Nicholas Abbey hasn’t been packed off to a stud career and instead is about to embark on a four-year-old career that could yet retrieve a reputation that at one stage knew no boundaries.
Throughout 2010 O’Brien consistently eulogised about the colt’s natural talent and the work he was putting in. So much so that anything but a victory against tomorrow’s opposition will be a serious let-down.
The next highest rated in the Listed race is the 103-marked Mount Helicon whose last start was finishing a 62-length last in the Royal Bond Novice Hurdle. Unaccompanied is a filly of some potential judged on her Triumph Hurdle second at the Cheltenham Festival last month.
But a lot is being invested in St Nicholas Abbey this season and if he can’t cope with this sort of opposition then he might be destined for an even longer spell under wraps.
Tomorrow’s Curragh feature is the Group Three Big Bad Bob Gladness Stakes, once the traditional kick-off to classic campaigns for legendary names like Nijinsky and El Gran Senor but now confined to older horses.
“Dandy” Nicholls sends across Regal Parade to the race and the seven-year-old lends a Group One pedigree to proceedings having won the 2009 Haydock Sprint Cup and last year’s Prix Maurice De Gheest.
Regal Parade also ran a fine fourth to Goldikova in the seven-furlong Prix de la Foret last October.
That indicates this trip won’t be an issue but his career also indicates improvement for a first run of the season and he has to concede at least 6lb all round.
The other cross-channel challenger is The Cheka whose form doesn’t look as strong while the home team will probably end up depending on fillies for a successful defence.
Emulous will relish the trip but hasn’t run this season while Lolly For Dolly has with an impressive Park Express victory over a mile already to her credit.
The drop back in trip might not be ideal but Lolly For Dolly looked to benefit significantly for the application of blinkers a fortnight ago and they can work again.
Glor Na Mara may still be a maiden but some of his placed form, which includes a Dewhurst third to Frankel, is very high-class indeed.
A plethora of classic prospects will be hoping Jim Bolger’s colt can break his duck in the Listed Anne Brewster Memorial Loughbrown Stakes and get a form boost in the process.
The Rockview Bumper is a particularly strong contest with a number of high-class National Hunt prospects lining up.
None have more expectations for a jumping career than Samain who missed out on Cheltenham but can secure a third bumper success of the season tomorrow.
