St Nicholas Abbey suffers career-ending injury

St Nicholas Abbey defeats the brilliant mare Midday in his first Investec Coronation Cup triumph in 2011. Image courtesy of racingfotos.com.

St Nicholas Abbey’s career is very sadly over.

Europe’s highest-ever money earner was all set to contest Saturday’s King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes (sponsored by Betfair) when he broke a bone in his leg on the gallops this morning. The vets are now trying to save him.

Although now six years of age, he seemed to be in his prime this season, winning his only two starts, and hopes were high that he might improve on his two third placings in the Betfair King George the last two years.

A tweet went out this morning from Coolmore Stud, to where the Aidan O’Brien-trained horse was due to retire at the end of his racing career, to say: 

"St Nicholas Abbey suffered a serious career-ending injury at Ballydoyle this morning, vets are currently attending to him.

"We hope to save him for a career at stud, a further update will be posted later."

St Nicholas Abbey has scored all over the world, winning the Breeders’ Cup Turf at Churchill Downs in the USA in 2011 and the Dubai Sheema Classic on Dubai World Cup Night at Meydan this March.

He also won a record three Investec Coronation Cups at Epsom.

His absence from Saturday’s big race sees Cirrus des Aigles a short-priced favourite for the fifth race in the Middle Distance division of the QIPCO British Champions Series, but that pales into insignificance as fingers are crossed everywhere that St Nick can be saved.