Nathaniel is a thoroughbred colt racehorse trained by John Gosden

John Gosden

John Gosden is a racehorse trainer. Having trained over 2,000 winners since his return to England in 1989, including winners of the Breeders' Cup Classic, the Derby, the King George, the 1,000 Guineas and the St. Leger, he is generally considered one of the most successful racehorse trainers of...

 for Lady Rothschild. Sired by the extremely important Champion Sire Galileo

Galileo (horse)

Galileo is a retired Irish Thoroughbred racehorse and active sire. He is best known for winning the Epsom Derby, Irish Derby Stakes, and King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes in 2001 and for his rivalry with the Godolphin champion Fantastic Light...

, out of the mare Magnificent Style, (a granddaughter of the 1972 Epsom Derby winner, Roberto

Roberto (horse)

Roberto was an American-bred Thoroughbred Champion racehorse who competed in Ireland and England.-Background:Roberto was bred by Galbreath at his Darby Dan Farm near Lexington, Kentucky. The son of the successful sire Hail To Reason out of the dam Bramalea, Roberto's grandsire was Turn-To, a...

), Nathaniel is a half-brother of Playful Act

Playful Act

Playful Act is an Thoroughbred racehorse and the world's most expensive broodmare. Owned and bred by prominent British owner/breeder Robert Sangster, she was sired by the extremely important Champion Sire Sadler's Wells, she was out of the mare Magnificent Style, a granddaughter of the 1972 Epsom...

 (foaled April 12, 2002 in Ireland). Playful Act, the British Champion Two-Year-Old Filly of 2004, was purchased in 2007 by Sheikh Mohammed's Darley Stud operation at the Keeneland breeding stock sale for a world record price of US $10.5 million.

Nathaniel began his two year old career on 13th August 2010 in a 1 mile maiden race at Newmarket on soft ground, narrowly losing to Sir Henry Cecil's Frankel

Frankel (horse)

Frankel is a thoroughbred colt racehorse bred by Juddmonte Farms, trained by Sir Henry Cecil and owned by Prince Khalid Abdulla. Named after the renowned and late American trainer Bobby Frankel, Frankel is unbeaten in nine races and is officially rated as the best racehorse in the world...

 by half a length.

As a three year old, he won the prestigious King Edward VII Stakes

King Edward VII Stakes

The King Edward VII Stakes is a Group 2 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and geldings. It is run at Ascot over a distance of 1 mile and 4 furlongs , and it is scheduled to take place each year in June....

 at Royal Ascot and the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes in 2011. Ridden by William Buick

William Buick

William Buick is a Norwegian born flat jockey who holds both British and Danish citizenship. He shared the champion apprentice jockey title in 2008 with David Probert and won the Lester Award for Apprentice Jockey of the Year in 2007 and 2008. He first group race victory was in the St. Simon...

, Nathaniel was a late entry to the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes, the only three-year-old entered, and the first three-year-old to win the race for eight years. Following his triumph in the King George in July 2011, he has the second highest timeform rating in the UK, after Frankel.

His 2011 earnings currently stand at £711,548, second only to Treasure Beach

Treasure Beach (horse)

Treasure Beach is an Irish Thoroughbred racehorse and winner of the 2011 Irish Derby. He was ridden by Colm O'Donoghue and trained by Aidan O'Brien.-External Links:*...

, winner of the Irish Derby.