Mount Nelson Triumphs
Aidan O’Brian has been in the winners’ circle at the Group 1 Coral Eclipse Stakes previously with Hawk Wing, Oratorio and Giant’s Causeway. On Saturday, 5 July 2008, he was there for a fourth time, with Mount Nelson. It certainly seems to a favorable year for the talented trainer, who has now raked in no less than twelve Group 1 victories this year. There is a lot of planning involved in choosing horses for a race, and with Mount Nelson being selected for the Coral Eclipse Stakes, the timing could not have been more perfect.
Born at the Cliveden Stud in England, Mount Nelson was bred from the mare Independence and sired by Rock of Gibraltar. From his mare he has received an elite family tree, with gene lines from the magnificent champion racehorse Reference Point. By the age of two Mount Nelson had already captured the imaginations of racing fans and the Criterium International. However, he had only one start in 2007 due to a hoof injury. Through their belief in and love for Mount Nelson, the entire Ballydoyle team combined their efforts to nurse him back to health.
O’Brian entered Mount Nelson into three racing events before running him at the Coral Eclipse Stakes, and with each race he could see improvement. Jockey, Johnny Murtagh, was very confident before the race and did not request a pace setter for Mount Nelson. With Phoenix Tower in the lead, Murtagh bided his time and waited until the second last furlong, before moving Mount Nelson into position to challenge the leading horses. Mount Nelson gained ground on Phoenix Tower, pushing Pipedreamer into third position. But at the wire, Mount Nelson managed to push just a little harder to win the race by a head.
With Mount Nelson making such an exceptional comeback, after almost a year off the track, Aidan O’Brian and his team are very proud of the four-year-old’s victory at the Coral Eclipse Stakes. Their patience and dedication to his recovery have paid off, and O’Brian walks away with his forth Eclipse triumph.
