St Nicholas Abbey continues to improve after surgeries

Coolmore’s Grade/Group 1 winner St Nicholas Abbey, recovering from both colic surgery and surgery to fuse a fractured pastern, has begun eating some grass, the Irish-based breeding operation reported Tuesday.

In a pair of tweets Tuesday morning, Coolmore said: “St Nicholas Abbey remains in a comfortable condition at Fethard Equine Hospital. The surgeons and veterinary team are happy with his progress. He is in good form after another good night and along with receiving intravenous nutrition he is eating small amounts of freshly cut grass.”

St Nicholas Abbey underwent both surgeries last week at Fethard Equine Hospital in Co. Tipperary, Ireland, not far from Coolmore’s headquarters, also in Fethard.

The 6-year-old Montjeu horse fractured a pastern on July 23 during morning work at Ballydoyle and underwent surgery the following day. On July 26, Coolmore said St Nicholas Abbey underwent colic surgery after a “shutdown” of his cecum.

St Nicholas Abbey won six Grade or Group 1 races, including the 2011 Breeders’ Cup Turf.