St Nicholas Abbey - 2.55 Chester - 6.5.11

St Nicholas Abbey: all the rage to land a second Coronation Cup

  PICTURE: Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)  

St Nicholas Abbey just 8-15 for Coronation

ST NICHOLAS ABBEY is a mere 8-15 chance with Boylesports to repeat last year's win in Saturday's Investec Coronation Cup, in which he faces a maximum of five rivals after Godolphin declined to declare Dubai World Cup winner Monterosso for the second time in three days.

The Aidan O'Brien-trained five-year-old, who has suffered a shock reverse at odds of only 2-5 in a Group 3 at the Curragh since finishing second to Cirrus Des Aigles in the Dubai Sheema Classic, could go off at even shorter odds than his stablemate Camelot in the Investec Derby later in the afternoon.

The William Haggas-trained Beaten Up, who met his first defeat when only sixth in the Sheema Classic, is St Nicholas Abbey's principal opponent according to the betting, ahead of Masked Marvel, Quest For Peace and Red Cadeaux.

The going has been left as good, good to firm in places following light watering up the home straight on Thursday, director of racing Andrew Cooper reporting it "very much good ground in the main." The forecast is for predominantly dry weather for the Derby meeting, with temperatures of around 20C or lower.

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THERE is no race, anywhere on earth, laden with as much history and prestige as the Epsom Derby. Conjured by 18th century aristocrats sitting over dinner it soon became the pre-eminent contest for three-year-olds and would go on to inspire hundreds of imitator races across the globe.

It remains a truly national sporting event. 125,000 descend on the Downs on the day of the race for a very British party. Double decker buses disgorge sun-seekers in everything from flip-flops to cocktail dresses, barbecues are sparked and laden with British bangers and bookies tout the favourite as a gamblng frenzy erupts in the build-up to the race.