KINGSTON, Jamaica - Four-time champion jockey Dane Nelson says his three 1000 Guineas winners — Al Fouzia, Nuclear Affair, and Above and Beyond — were very special to him, but singled out Above and Beyond, who went on to win the Jamaica Oaks before retiring to stud.
In what Nelson described as one of his best rides in the saddle, Al Fouzia, owned by Farasphal Farm and trained by Rowan Mathie, came from behind horses to win the 2010 - 1000 Guineas in a time of 1:42.1.
After surrounding rivals at the top of the lane, Al Fouzia surrendered the lead to Gabiwitzo, but Nelson, with his bustling riding style, got his mount to rally and Al Fouzia came home by a length and a quarter.
It was the same tactics aboard Nuclear Affair in the 2016 Jamaica 1000 Guineas as Nelson brought the chestnut filly forward approaching the final bend to ease ahead of A Thousand Stars and Sorrentino Star. Owned by Michros and trained by Gary Subratie, Nuclear Affair won in a time of 1:39.2.
It was an easy and impressive Classic victory for the 1-5 favourite Above And Beyond in this 2020 1000 Guineas. Above And Beyond, trained by champion Anthony Nunes, was floating down the backstretch from the number 14 draw with Another Affair being the main danger. This duo pulled themselves away from the rest in the field and made it a two-horse contest before the well-built Above and Beyond started to stretch her long legs to win as if on a stroll by a commanding 6 ½ lengths. The winning time was 1:38.4.
“All three victories in the 1000 Guineas races were special moments for me. The three horses all ran great races to win, and I think they all won it [Guineas] quite easily as well. Al Fouzia was my first Nuclear Affair and Above and Beyond made sure that my name was further cemented in the record books,” Nelson told the Supreme Racing Guide.
“Al Fouzia was a bit harder than the other two because we got a challenge from Gabiwitzo in the straight but knew Al Fouzia well. It was always going to be a victory as she was a fighter and once, she gave her best, she will be good.
“Nuclear Affair and Above and Beyond won their races very easily. They won impressively and stamped their class. Three nice wins and I love those horses as well,” he continued.
To single out one of the runners that really stood out, Nelson said that Above and Beyond has the edge.
“I would say that Above and Beyond was the best of the three. I worked with Above and Beyond from when she was a two-year-old, which I never did with Al Fouzia nor Nuclear Affair. I grew to love this horse very much as she was a brilliant filly; she was a super horse.
“I went on to win the Jamaica Oaks with her as well. I never got the chance to ride the other two in the Oaks as I was sick at the time of Al Fouzia and for Nuclear Affair, I was abroad riding.
“I can remember I rode Above and Beyond, going 6 ½ furlongs, beating the talented Mahogany with Omar Walker aboard. The winning time was 1:18.3. It was sad to see her retiring after the Jamaica Oaks as I believed that she would go on to do wonders,” Nelson said.
