Newsells Park Stud announced Thursday that it will stand dual Group 1 winner
MOUNT NELSON (GB) (Rock of Gibraltar [Ire]) at the Royston-based stud farm in
2009.
A son of Group 2 winner Independence (Selkirk) and racing for Susan Magnier,
Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith, Mount Nelson won two of three starts as a
two-year-old of 2006, including the Criterium International (Fr-G1) going a mile
at Saint-Cloud, a race in which he established a new course record that still
stands. A foot injury limited his three-year-old season to just one start, but
Mount Nelson returned at four to take the Eclipse (Eng-G1) at Sandown over
Phoenix Tower (Chester House).
In his final start, Mount Nelson ran third to Spirit One (Fr) (Anabaa Blue)
and Archipenko (Kingmambo) in the Arlington Million (G1) on August 9.
“We are delighted to have acquired this talented racehorse to stand at
Newsells Park next season,” Newsells’ General Manager Julian Dollar said of
Mount Nelson’s arrival. “We think he has all the ingredients to make him a great
success at stud. Mount Nelson is bred on the dynamic Danzig/Sharpen Up (GB)
cross which has already produced successful young sires Danehill Dancer and
Invincible Spirit. Mount Nelson is a great-looking horse, as his 320,000 guineas
yearling price suggests, and with our large broodmare band, he will be very
strongly supported by us. I think breeders will absolutely love him.”
Mount Nelson is the first major stallion to stand at Newsells Park Stud since
its purchase by the Jacobs family in 2000.
“It was always Mr. Jacobs’ intention to stand stallions at Newsells Park Stud
and offer breeders another independent option,” Dollar said. “We identified
Mount Nelson as an exciting prospect some time ago and recognized that with the
unbelievable year Ballydoyle and Coolmore were enjoying, there might be a unique
opportunity to acquire one of their prospects. This was one of the last matters
we consulted Mr. Jacobs on before he passed away. I think he would be very
pleased to know we have fulfilled one of his objectives.”