Sunday, 8 July 2012: Nathaniel capped another big day for champion sire Galileo and the amazing broodmare Magnificent Style when he stamped his class on a top quality field to take the G1 Coral-Eclipse at Sandown.
The victory completed a superb double for co-owner Lady Rothschild, whose colours had been carried to success by Nathaniel's full-sister Great Heavens in the G2 Lancashire Oaks at Haydock less than an hour earlier.
Just like his sibling, Nathaniel (Galileo x Magnificent Style, by Silver Hawk) displayed plenty of courage on his seasonal return as he was committed by William Buick early in the straight before finding more under pressure to prevail by half a length over Farhh.
It was a second G1 success for Nathaniel following his victory in the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot last season.
Magnificent Style, winner of the Musidora Stakes in 1996, is the dam of an amazing eight stakes winners among 10 winners from 10 runners.
Magnificient Style already had a Lancashire Oaks winner on her stud record in the shape of subsequent $10.5 million broodmare purchase Playful Act, by Galileo's sire Sadler's Wells.
Her other five stakes winners are Changing Skies (Sadler's Wells), Echoes In Eternity (
Spinning World), Percussionist (Sadler's Wells), Petara Bay (Peintre Celebre) and Stylelistick (Storm Cat).
Magnificient Style is also the grand-dam of two Pattern-race winners: Whispering Gallery out of Echoes Of Eternity and Giants Play out of Playful Act.
The mare has a yearling colt by Oasis Dream named Throne Room, a filly foal by the same sire called Willoughby and was covered by
Fastnet Rock this year.
Magnificient Style, a Silver Hawk half-sister to G1 winner Siberian Summer, is out of a half-sister to the third dam of Cavalryman, who won the Listed Coral Marathon at Sandown on Saturday.
The outstanding mare was purchased privately by Lady Rothschild from the dispersal of the Sangster family's breeding stock in 2007.
Nathaniel's Eclipse victory is a great result for Newsells Park Stud, who earlier this year part-purchased him to stand at the Hertfordshire nursery.
The Galileo colt looks set to be a warm order to repeat his Ascot heroics once again in two weeks' time.
"I have to say that was a fantastic training performance from John Gosden,” said Buick afterwards. “To get the horse here in the shape he was in, all credit to John.
"He's got real quality and he showed today what a good horse he is. I have always had a lot of faith in this horse.
"He showed his versatility today and all being well he'll go for the King George again."
“He's a super horse, but it has been very difficult to get him right as he has had a respiratory problem," added Gosden.
"It's two weeks to the King George and that's not great. The Juddmonte (International) would be an option, as would the Champion Stakes at the end of the year."
Nathanial's sister Great Heavens (Galileo x Magnificent Style, by Silver Hawk) looks set to make her mark in the highest company following her decisive victory over older mares in the G2 Lancashire Oaks at Haydock.
Jockey Rab Havlin eased his mount near the line for a five-length verdict over Shimmering Surf (Danehill Dancer x Sun On The Sea, by Bering) with Set To Music ( Danehill Dancer x Zarabaya, by Doyoun) completing a clean sweep for
Coolmore stallions.
