Fame and glory: the rise of Nathaniel

In a racing year that has seen a traditionally strong showing for Galileo and his stallion sons, the media focus was understandably upon the exploits of his outstanding son Frankel's first three-year-old runners, these having already enhanced their fledgling sire's reputation in 2016.

But as is so often the case in breeding, it has been the emergence of another stallion son of Galileo, Nathaniel, who has provided a somewhat more left field surprise (though perhaps not to his backers).

Foaled in the same year as Frankel, the 'splendidly tough and reliable' Nathaniel excelled over middle-distances, winning the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes at three and the Eclipse Stakes at four (pictured above beating Farrh and Twice Over at Sandown). He met Frankel twice on the racecourse, performing admirably, whilst like all others receiving the brush-off. On the first occasion at two years (on their respective debuts) he was a half-length second in a mile maiden at Newmarket (holding the distinction of being the horse to get closest to Frankel in defeat) and two years later finished a brave third in the Champion Stakes at Ascot, beaten by four and a quarter lengths in what was the final race for both horses. Nathaniel retired to Newsells Park Stud in Hertfordshire in 2013.

As a newcomer to the stallion ranks and as widely predicted, Frankel has sired a bounty of group winners, his best being the high-class and very smart middle-distance performers, Cracksman, Eminent and Mirage Dancer, along with the Japanese Oaks winner Soul Stirring.

It is here that Nathaniel has bested Frankel by siring a European Group One winner. The top-class filly Enable, bidding for her fifth Group 1 in next month's Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, needs no further introduction, save to say that her brilliance and consistency at the top level are largely responsible for her sire's elevated profile, though it should be noted that many of Nathaniel's runners have shown plenty of ability.

Stamina is a key factor of the Galileo bloodline and Nathaniel's progeny have yielded a solid representation of a type that improve with age and distance. Of his smart performers, Ronald R won at seven furlongs at two and a mile at three before finishing an unlucky second in the Britannia Handicap at Royal Ascot. The French-trained Falcon Wings won over a mile-and-a-quarter at two and three years before making the frame at a mile and a half in listed/group company and ran well when fifth in the Grand Prix de Paris at Saint-Cloud. A mile winner at two, Glencadam Glory showed aptitude for further by finishing a creditable fifth behind Permian in the King Edward VII Stakes at Royal Ascot. The useful filly God Given, a half-sister to the top-class middle-distance performer Postponed, also recorded improvement when upped in trip, her hat-trick of victories between June and August all coming at around a mile and a half in a Haydock maiden, a Newmarket listed race and the Group 3 Prix Minerve at Deauville and have earned her an entry in the British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes at Ascot in October. Other useful winners include Joshua Reynolds and Melodic Motion, both of whom stay a mile and three-quarters, with the latter being targeted at the St Leger, and Natavia, who won a mile and a quarter listed race at Newbury in May.

Further useful winners across the maiden, minor event and handicap spectrum include Intellect, the progressive Eynhallow and Steel Prince, provider of his sire's only Irish winner to date outside of Enable's Irish Oaks victory. Nathaniel has also gone close to classic success in Germany with his son Enjoy Vijay finishing second in the Deutsches Derby. 

Nathaniel has fared well with both his sons and daughters and hit a purple patch last month, with a winning duo on August 15th, another winner the following day and another two winners on August 19th. True to type, his most recent winner at the time of writing, Imphal, improved markedly upped in trip, completing a hat-trick of wins between thirteen furlongs and two miles.

In a remarkable year spearheaded by Enable, Nathaniel has been propelled to a current sixth-place position on the General British & Irish Sires Total Earnings List with around £1.7 million, an extraordinary feat for a second-crop sire. Frankel is ninth on the same list. Nathaniel is currently second only to his own sire on the British & Irish Win Prize Money List with almost £1.6 million, behind Galileo's total of £5.5 million (figures through September 4th) but with over twenty other first-crop runners rated by Timeform as ‘fairly useful’ there are plenty of potential improvers waiting in the wings.

When comparing Nathaniel and Frankel from a breeding perspective it may be a matter of cost as to who represents the better value. Nathaniel's twenty-eight percent winner-to-runner ratio versus Frankel's forty-one percent indicates that the latter might have the edge, although the leading sire and prize money lists tell their own story. At a hefty £125,000, Frankel's stud fee is beyond the means of many breeders whereas Nathaniel's fee was dropped from an initial £20,000 to a more modest £17,500 for 2017, but that now seems likely to increase again.

With these two exciting young sons of Galileo co-existing, breeding crossovers and racecourse clashes are already occurring. Enable's dam, Concentric, produced a filly by Frankel this year and Eminent and Cracksman are possible rivals to Enable in the Arc. Time will tell whether Enable is a ‘one off’ or if Nathaniel can maintain and build on his promising start with successive crops, but it appears that the cards are favourably stacked for Frankel’s closest racecourse rival.