God Given caps a wonder weekend for Nathaniel after Enable exploits

A wonderful weekend for Newsells Park Stud stallion Nathaniel that started when his standout runner Enable landed the Breeders' Cup Turf at Churchill Downs on Saturday was extended when his tally of top-flight winners was doubled by another daughter, God Given, taking the Premio Lydia Tesio in Rome on Sunday.

The four-year-old God Given gives her trainer Luca Cumani the perfect send-off to an illustrious training career that comes to an end at the end of the season after 43 years.

She exemplifies the handler's renowned patient approach, as she was placed twice in the backend of her two-year-old season, won the Group 3 Prix Minerve and Listed Aphrodite Stakes at three and this season has taken the Group 3 Pinnacle Stakes and Group 2 Park Hill Stakes.

God Given rewards the decision of her breeders St Albans Bloodstock to send her into training with Cumani, who had prepared her Dubawi half-brother Postponed to win five races including the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes for Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum but lost the horse when the owner left his stable.

God Given and Postponed are out of Ever Rigg, a daughter of Dubai Destination and Moyglare Stud Stakes heroine Bianca Nera who won a Kempton 1m4f maiden for Ed Dunlop.

Dubai Destination, initially deemed disappointing at stud and now in Saudi Arabia after a spell covering jumps mares, has found redemption through his daughters, who have also produced the likes of Golden Horn, Thunder Snow, Dutch Connection, The Juliet Rose and Eziyra.

Ever Rigg, who died last year, was a half-sister to the Listed-placed pair Bite Of The Cherry and Pietra Dura, the last named the dam of Grade 3 winner and Grade 1-placed Turning Top. Another of her half-sisters, Bijou A Moi, produced Winter Derby winner Robin Hoods Bay.

Further back it is the family of celebrities Bondi Beach, Gale Force Ten and Simply Perfect.

Ever Rigg left the two-year-old Dubawi colt Prejudice as her last foal. He won a Redcar nursery for Cumani and St Albans Bloodstock in September and was last seen finishing third in a similar heat at Doncaster last month.

God Given and Enable hail from the first crop of Nathaniel, who stood at Newsells Park at a fee of £20,000 this year.

Nathaniel was a middle-distance superstar from a stout family – he is a Galileo brother to Irish Oaks winner Great Heavens and three-parts brother to Playful Act and Percussionist – and unsurprisingly his progeny have improved with age.

He has been represented by 12 stakes winners in total. Besides Enable and God Given, who have triumphed at the highest level, there is the Group 2 Lillie Langtry stakes winner Pilaster and Group 3 scorers Chasedown, Highgarden and Precious Ramotswe.

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