1/20. Nathaniel then started 6/4 favourite for the Chester Vase in May but despite finishing strongly he was beaten a head by the Irish-trained colt Treasure Beach. Nathaniel did not run in The Derby as Gosden felt that the ground at Epsom would be too fast for the colt. He appeared instead at Royal Ascot where he won the King Edward VII Stakes "comfortably" by five lengths. Immediately after the race, Gosden indicated that the colt would be aimed at the St Leger Stakes. A month later however, Nathaniel returned to Ascot to contest the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes over the same distance, after his owners paid a supplementary entry fee of £75,000. He was the only three-year-old in a field which included St Nicholas Abbey, Workforce and Rewilding. Ridden by William Buick, Nathaniel pulled hard in the early stages and was forced to lead before settling behind the pacemaker Debussy. In the straight, Nathaniel accelerated into the lead down the centre of the track and won by two and three quarter lengths from Workforce who had hung badly across to the stands side. St Nicholas Abbey finished third, while Rewilding was fatally injured when falling two furlongs from the finish. Nathaniel was the first three-year-old to win the race for eight years. His trainer John Gosden helped tend to the injured Rewilding, giving the colt a "final munch of grass" before he was euthanised. Gosden said that Nathaniel was still improving and indicated that his next target would probably be the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. Shortly before the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, Gosden announced that Nathaniel would miss the race as he would be unsuited by the prevailing firm ground. Nathaniel was rerouted to the Champion Stakes over ten furlongs at Ascot two weeks later. In the most valuable race ever run in Britain, Nathaniel disputed the lead with Ransome Note before taking a clear advantage approaching the straight. He was headed by So You Think approaching the final furlong and ran on at "one pace" to finish fifth behind Cirrus des Aigles, beaten three and a half lengths. At the end of the year, Nathaniel was rated the equal seventh best racehorse in the world in the 2011 World Thoroughbred Racehorse Rankings. 2012: four-year-old season Nathaniel had respiratory problems in early 2012 and did not make his first appearance of the season until