Nuits St Georges joins de Bromhead for jumping campaign
- Planet Sport writer
- 5 January 2022
Nuits St Georges has joined Gold Cup-winning trainer the Henry de Bromhead stable, from where he will be campaigned over jumps.
The Mount Nelson gelding has won seven of his 28 Flat starts for trainer David Menuisier and stays two miles in that code, where his BHA rating is 93.
De Bromhead, whose triumphs in 2021 included the Champion Hurdle, Cheltenham Gold Cup and Grand National, was chosen by connections on the recommendation of Menuisier, who recalled that the County Waterford handler had shown an interest in Nuits St Georges when he was a yearling in Ireland.
"We had a discussion with the owners and they asked how I felt," said Menuisier.
"Basically, we had the horse for five seasons and he'd done very well and it was debatable how much more he would find. He's not getting any younger either so, being by Mount Nelson, I think it's a path worth exploring for him.
"Henry isn't quite connected with the horse but nearly (is) because he went to see him as a yearling, as I did, and I think he was quite keen to have him in training and obviously the owners sent him to me for a Flat career in the UK rather than leave him in Ireland.
When the owners asked my advice for a trainer, I thought it was the right call to send him to Henry.
Menuisier reports former stable star Wonderful Tonight to be well on the road to recovery after two bouts of surgery.
The dual Group 1 winner was retired in September after suffering a leg fracture two days before she had been due to run in the Prix Foy at ParisLongchamp as her prep run for the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. After a successful procedure she had to be operated on for colic a few weeks later.
"She's fine, she's in the paddock. She's recovered really well from both surgeries - the fracture and colic," said the Pulborough handler.
"She had lost a lot of weight so it's going to take time for her to go back to her normal shape, but she improves daily. She's fine and, most importantly, she's safe.
Menuisier is optimistic Wonderful Tonight, who is owned by Chris Wright, could be covered in the spring.
"I think it is a matter of monitoring her well-being but we should be able to get covered in the spring," he said.
"She's at Chasemore Farm for now and she will go to Chris Wright's Stratford Place Stud in the next few weeks.
"I have a rough idea (who might cover her). I can't say but I think it will be one of the top three stallions in Europe."
