St.Nicholas Abbey At Stud.

Bit premature! He is bred to improve with age after all.

Yeah he is thing is though has he? and yes I'm probably being as you say premature.

Racing Post often produces NH stallions

if it is all over I could see them standing him in AUS/NZ then shuttle to Japan,don't think many flat breeders would use him so yes Rip Van jumping could be a poss'.

I'm a big fan of Montjeu, but I don't really like the shooting star type, I'd rather a horse that came and kept putting it on the line again and again and so what if he's a few lb's off brilliant. Think Sadlers, Dansili, Giants Causeway. For me he is an owner breeders risk and they can usually afford better, he doesn't seem to have a solid commercial physique perhaps?

Your right Pot,M,We were chatting about him this morning,and came to a similar conclusion as you,from what we have seen doubt he would get early sorts,so I'd imagine none of ours would be 'visiting' him.

Giant Strides Joined: 03 Aug 08
Replies: 1282 01 Jun 10 09:39 
Bit premature! He is bred to improve with age after all.

You 100% on that?

^

just back from the curragh, SNA looked small for a 4year old, for the 1st time im starting to think that he was just a very mature 2yr old and has an uphill task of getting a G1 as a 4yr old, very likem Celtic swing i think.
i think they'll give him 1 year anyway at Coolmore, then most likely sold off, Turkey could be his destination

DMCK you shouldn't have any trouble getting covered!

I too was there today he does not look much more than last year to me anyway,looks a long way short of ever looking like he is GR1 material saying that mind I'm not going to that hard on him its a long time since he's been out and the ground was heavy so he may improve but doubt he is going to win at GR1 level again here or the UK at least.He holds no appeal to me as a stallion mind but as Rip Van Winkle has said before poss' a jump sire.

Wasnt there today but i'm sure there must be still something to come from him as the same happened last year to Fame and Glory and then he went on to win group 1's. In the race he did not seem to pick up at all which is a worry and he has an awkward head carriage, but this is something we see with Montjeus and it was his first run in a year so somewhat green. I think that if he wins a couple of soft group 1s if there are any then he will still get his chance at stud, but i am thinking that with the likes of Cape Blanco, Jan Vermeer, So You Think, Fame and Glory, Await the Dawn and with a bunch of 3 year olds St.Nich might not be there main horse to be worrying about.

I agree with that Rip Van,imo the horse was ruined last year by his connections,as you point out his awkward head carriage being typical of Montjeu along with there temp'remember Motivator?I think M.Bell did well with him as in a way horses like that you have to kid them along a bit,with SNA I think his connections started to believe the doubt that a son of Montjeu could not win a GR1 over a mile much was made of this theory at the time,all the time thinking they had a super star on there hands and one that poss'could of been better than STS,I was not at NMKT for last years GNS but Slick was there and said to me she felt SNA looked razor sharp he looked ultra fit it seems he had had plenty of work,that's where imo they got it wrong with him as I reckon by the time of his GNS run the horse had chucked it he'd had enough and I'm not sure he will ever show his 2 y'old form again.
I did once or twice see him working and he was doing great work during his 3 y'ols spring but I think being by Mountjeu they made a serious error in training him fairly hard for his GNS run,we all know it backfired on them a bit but you could say "that's racing" but I also know horses are very much individuals..........even the greatest trainer can and surly has learned that they are not machines and what's been rubber stamped as well is most not all the Montjeu's of this world have a brain SNA being a prime example.

His speed seems to have been blunted no doubt, I almost wish they hadn't run him again. He was winning soft ground races in slow times showing a Great turn of foot, never travelled yesterday, though it was a fast run race. I reckon he is still a miler if anything though. The two fast run races he has run in he has been stuffed, while he has all the Montjeu traits on the surface, he's small and i think he could be an atypical son of the sire. Would he get 2yo's?

Here we are debating something without the full facts - again - but it is fun!

Like Prima Donna says it's too early to form an opinion, unless we play the 'what if' game and suggest retirement is happening next Tuesday.

In which case, let's suggest Trinidad & Tobago might be a place Shanahan fancies for a fact finding Easter break. . .

neill d,no I don't think he is the sort that is going to get 2 y'old types but saying that like you say he is very much 'atypical' of his sire,to me there is a lot of Sadlers Wells about him with the right mare he may,but overall I think we will never see how good he looked at one point regardless of trip,imo a very good colt trashed by his connections so wanting to upstage the champion colt of the year before,sad fact is with patience they may of who knows.