Coolmore is already covering its bases for the 2010 English Derby. Montjeu, the heir to Sadler’s Wells, sired a juvenile double at Ascot and the Curragh last weekend with promising two year-old colts Joshua Tree and St Nicholas Abbey.
Joshua Tree (2c Montjeu – Madeira Mist by Grand Lodge) earned a 20-1 quote for the 2010 English Derby after his victory in the Royal Lodge Stakes (G2) at Ascot on Saturday.
Joshua Tree is owned by Coolmore confreres Derrick Smith, Susan Magnier and Michael Tabor and he progressed from a Gowran Park maiden to Ascot with a minimum of fuss.
“He’s a good-moving horse who came home very well,” trainer Aidan O’Brien said. “But we won’t be in a hurry with him.”
Joshua Tree gave Montjeu his second Royal Lodge success after the win of Jukebox Jury in 2008. The latter grabbed his first Group 1 in the Preis von Europa in Germany on Sunday.
St Nicholas Abbey (2c Montjeu – Leaping Water by Sure Blade) looked every inch a class colt when he glided to a G2 victory in the Beresford Stakes (1600m) at the Curragh on Sunday.
Aidan O’Brien has trained nine Beresford winners since 1996 and he issued an upbeat appraisal after the Montjeu colt’s smooth victory.
“He has loads of speed and found some gears which is a good sign,” O’Brien said. “He is a lovely-moving horse and very athletic. You would hope he would get the Derby trip.”
St Nicholas Abbey was a 200,000gns buy at the 2008 Tattersalls October yearling sale for Smith, Magnier and Tabor.
Montjeu (Sadler’s Wells) was a G1 winner of the 1999 French and Irish Derbies in Coolmore’s colours before claiming the Arc de Triomphe later that year.
Hurricane Run followed in the footsteps of his sire winning the 1995 Irish Derby and Arc de Triomphe and some of his other classics winners since then include Motivator (Epsom Derby), Scorpion (English St Leger), Fame And Glory (Irish Derby), Authorized (Epsom Derby), Frozen Fire (Irish Derby) and Montare (French St Leger).
Montjeu has also sired the last two AJC Australian Derby winners in Nom Du Jeu and Roman Emperor.
St Nicholas Abbey completed the Coolmore double just 24 hours after Rip Van Winkle won the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot. It was the second leg of what Coolmore hopes is Group 1 hat-trick. The Galileo colt won the Sussex Stakes at Goodwood in July and will now head to the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Santa Anita.
In the first-half of the year, Rip Van Winkle had been beaten but not disgraced behind champion colt Sea The Stars in the English 2000 Guineas, Epsom Derby and Eclipse Stakes.
Sea The Stars launched his black-type career in the Beresford Stakes last year and St Nicholas Abbey has been installed an 8-1 pre-post favourite to emulate the Cape Cross colt in the 2010 English Derby.
O’Brien nominated the G1 Racing Post Trophy at Doncaster on October 24 as the next start for St Nicholas Abbey.