Sunday, 20 May 2012: HE'S BACK. Frankel made it a remarkable ten wins from ten career starts with a scintillating reappearance in easily seeing off his old rival Excelebration for the fourth time.
 | Frankel
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The 2-7 favourite took up the running over a furlong from home and when Tom Queally asked him the response was immediate. He powered into top gear and Excelebration simply couldn't go with him. Dubawi Gold was back in third.
This was a big day for Prince Khalid Abdullah's colt in what was his first run as an older horse. Greater tests await in the summer, but the atmosphere had been building throughtout the afternoon as every racing fan waited for his return. Thankfully, the horse himself seemed to take the premlimaries in his stride and, much to Sir Henry Cecil's relief, he didn't let his supporters down.
"It hasn't been straightforward as he had ten days off," said the winning trainer. "It's not been easy but we've got him throught it and he's done exactly what I wanted him to do"
Not surprisingly a bit fresh in the early stages, Queally tacked his mount onto to the back of pacemaker and three-quarter brother Bullet Train, who gave a lovely lead before Queally decided to say go.
Excelebration had been tracking
Frankel throughout and travelled just as well, but he simply doesn't have the speed of his rival and was left floundering once again. The margin was five lengths at the line with a further four lengths back to Dubawi Gold.
They had gone a good gallop and there was no argument as to the authority of this success. What a prospect we have for the rest of the season.
Queally was thrilled with his mount afterwards. "It's a great relief he's come back - I know he had a little scare a while back. It's great for everyone - he belongs to racing," said the winning rider.
"He showed that burst of acceleration and he's not like anything I've sat on. He's grown up, he's a thicker set - look at him now he's the real deal."
Frankel and his trainer were given a fantastic reception by the crowd when they returned to the winner's enclosure. This colt has certainly captured people's hearts and everyone will now want to know what his next race will be. He has a choice at Royal Ascot and it is a question of whether he stays over the same distance in the Queen Anne or goes up to 1m2f in the Prince of Wales's.
"He's in the two at Ascot,we'll see," said Cecil. "His first race is never his best and he'll come on for this."
William Hill now go 1-3
Frankel for the Queen Anne and make him even money (from 7-4) to remain unbeaten throughout this season, while Paddy Power go odds-on. Who would bet against it.
There will now be lots of talk of a match-up with record-breaking Australian sprinter Black Caviar now.
However to expect the great mare to move up in distance and take on this monster is surely pie in the sky and the biggest test for
Frankel is likely to come when he moves up in distance and has to give weight to a top-class three-year-old. Let us not forget his stamina is yet to be tested.
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 | | Posted by theking, on 29-5-2012 12:43:37 PM
How many track records are actually held by past or present CHAMPIONS?
I am pretty sure that Makybe Diva still holds one but how many others also do?
eg. Sunline? Northerly? Kingston Town? etc......
I agree with kingfisher
Kinda puts the whole running of fast times arguement into the NONSENSE bin doesnt it?
(eg. tail wind)
Take a look at the long list of lesser known horses that hold track records & tell me if the fact that they ran a fast time makes them anywhere better than or even near the equal of the likes of Black Caviar, Sunline, Northerly, Kingston Town etc...? ”
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| | Posted by kingfisher, on 28-5-2012 8:48:34 AM
hammertime,
That reminds me of Danny Beau bettering the Ascot 1000 metre and 1200 metre track records on either side of being smashed by Takeover Target in the Winterbottom in much slower time. Danny Beau just wasn''t in the same class proving that times mean nothing. ”
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| | Posted by hammertime, on 25-5-2012 11:10:35 AM
you see it so often. Horses that win inferior races on the same day, same track and same distance, as superior horses in higher grade, but the inferior winner posts a better time than the higher grade winner. Yet if the two winners were to race against each other, the superior horse would win just about every time. This scenario has always raised questions as to why should this happen, and the best answer has always been CLASS. I have a share in a 3yo maiden and her time last start when running 3rd in a maiden was faster than the Open winner on the same day, same track, same distance. However, there is no way we could beat the Open winner in any race as she is a much inferior animal. ”
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| | Posted by chay, on 24-5-2012 3:13:19 PM
Do they pay much heed to times in the UK and Europe? I don''t get the impression they do. Whereas in Aus and US the whole game is about speed so all we think about is "times". ”
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| | Posted by Crotts, on 24-5-2012 11:44:56 AM
I love John Singleton''s idea of trying to get Frankel over here for next years Futurity Stakes over 1400m where he could clash with Black Caviar, Atlantic Jewel, More Joyous & Hay List. What a mouth watering race it would be. If Frankel doesnt come for that race I dont think they will ever meet.
By the way Black Caviar wins that race by 3 eased down! ”
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| | Posted by Whip, on 23-5-2012 11:40:25 PM
I cant help it if it annoys you when the race records are stacked against you, times aren’t opinions kiddo. Franky’s run at Ascot was his high all mighty run at 135 that rated him the “best in the world”, absolutely laughable. By the way, Cirrus/SYT runs was at the same track and day, no comment? STS comparison same race and track condition and Franky didn’t have 20m or 16lbs to spare, no comment again? Geez some things must be frustrating.
Surely you don't think this year Franky can now carry open company weight and improve a heap more on last year. His Queens English might improve but 10L is a bit much don’t you think?
cheers
Whippy ”
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| | Posted by tired of the rubbish, on 23-5-2012 12:08:29 PM
whip do you actually believe this ignorant rot you post of are you just trying to get a response?...it is so silly and ill informed...Yeats and Frankel are as comparable as Phar Lap and Black Caviar...you seriously have no idea about racing..elsewhere you compare Frankels times over 1600m on straight tracks with an uphill run to Black Caviar over 1200m on a flat track...can you please open a betfair account quick smart...you would have to be the most simplistic and ill informed fool to ever post on this site...and you have a fair bit of competition...please post the whole Hay List/Foxwedge fast pace/slow pace scenario for us again....it''s the best ever ”
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| | Posted by Whip, on 22-5-2012 10:23:09 PM
Patsy
Over here it would be “No pacemaker No Frankel”, Atlantic Jewel would put the fear of God in him and Cecil already has it.
Just another plodder same as Yeats in the MC, remember, they all gave him wind burn when they flew past him at the top of the Flemington straight…..embarrassing really ”
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| | Posted by maccamax, on 22-5-2012 10:11:23 PM
He walks behind his stablemate then sprints ... Does it well and takes all day to do it .
Would get lost in a Doncaster .
Slow horses need to meet slow horses. ”
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| | Posted by Anonymous, on 22-5-2012 7:47:39 PM
I agree that both are champions - my only objection is that Frankel''s 10 wins have earned him a much higher rating than Black Caviar''s 21 wins. This, to me, smacks of Eurobias. ”
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| | Posted by hammertime, on 21-5-2012 9:11:23 PM
know where you are coming from anon, however, he is in the same boat as BC now. Nominates for races, the best of the rest avoid, he ends up beating not much at all, and he is therefore "over rated" by many of the tall poppy syndrome lovers when he/she wins easily. Frankel is a champion, so is Black Caviar -who is best? and does it really matter? When we look back at other Champions, we remember the races they won and how many they won, and in years to come their performances are always magnified. 21/21 and 10/10 ain''t too bad - both Frankel and Black Caviar are Champions in their own right. ”
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| | Posted by patsy fagan, on 21-5-2012 7:35:48 PM
Yeah Frankel''s running scared because of last years race where Pinker Pinker beat Jimmy Choux and Rekindled Interest.
Was truly stunning stuff.
”
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| | Posted by Anonymous, on 20-5-2012 7:46:52 PM
It is such a shame that he isn''t coming out here for the world''s premier mile-and-a-quarter race - but when you can race on straight tracks with a pacemaker and your main rival is a horse that you beat from one of last season to the other, why on earth would you change a winning formula? ”
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