Abbey repeat on the cards

St Nicholas Abbey wins last year’s Investec Corornation Cup with Ryan Moore in the saddle – can Joseph O’Brien steer him to victory in the same race this year? Image courtesy of racingfotos.com.

St Nicholas Abbey returns to the scene of one of his finest hours on Saturday, endeavouring to win the Diamond Jubilee Coronation Cup (sponsored by Investec) for the second year in a row.

The Aidan O’Brien-trained five-year-old also won the Breeders’ Cup Turf at Churchill Downs last year and returned this year to run second to Cirrus des Aigles in the Dubai Sheema Classic at Meydan on Dubai World Cup Night in March.

Joseph O’Brien will ride, taking over from Ryan Moore who guided him to victory 12 months ago.

Up against him in the first Middle Distance contest of the 2012 QIPCO British Champions Series – a race that is open to four-year-olds and up – are three Newmarket-trained horses who will be doing their best to defeat him.

Masked Marvel (John Gosden) won last year’s Ladbrokes St Leger ove a mile and three quarters and will relish the prevailing fast ground at Epsom, but does he have the speed to win a top level race over a mile and a half?

A similar comment applies to Red Cadeaux (Ed Dunlop), who was denied by just a whisker in Australia’s biggest race last year, the two-mile Melbourne Cup, and two weeks ago won the Sportingbet Yorkshire Cup, run over a mile and three quarters and therefore in the QIPCO British Champions Series Long Distance division.

Beaten Up (William Haggas) has yet to win at the highest level, but he has a big home reputation and his astute trainer is certain that he is a Group 1 horse.

Everything points to St Nicholas Abbey and another O’Brien winner, but the Newmarket trio should test him.

The race is due off at 2.40pm on Saturday, as the clock ticks down to the Investec Derby at 4pm. Carch it live on BBC1 and Racing UK.

For the full race details and to view the full field, CLICK HERE.