Excelebration may well ruffle Frankel’s feathers
THE freak that is Frankel returns at Newbury tomorrow where he bids to defend his unbeaten record and make it a perfect 10 in the JLT Lockinge Stakes at 3.40pm. However, it hasn’t all been plain sailing in the run-up to this race as Sir Henry Cecil’s superstar suffered an injury on the gallops last month.
Frankel now seems fine, having worked impressively on Newmarket’s Rowley Mile, but exercising with stablemates is totally different to the blood and thunder of a Group One contest. He has always been exuberant and wants to get on with things, but there is no substitute for a prep race and if he does not switch off in the first part of the race, he may well find main market rival EXCELEBRATION close enough to cause him problems.
Excelebration, who had a rear view of Frankel three times last season, has a definite fitness advantage and, at 7-2 with Coral, he represents excellent each-way value. He is now under the expert tutelage of Aidan O’Brien and it is reasonable to assume that he might just find the necessary improvement to give Frankel fans a few worries.
Looking at this afternoon’s action and Ed Dunlop’s globetrotting RED CADEAUX can land the Yorkshire Cup (2.30pm), the third leg of the QIPCO British Champions Series at 11/4 with Coral. The six-year-old was beaten a nostril in last season’s Melbourne Cup and followed that run with a really impressive third place finish in the Hong Kong Vase. He showed his wellbeing on his reappearance at Kempton a fortnight ago and this 14 furlong trip looks right up his street.
John Gosden has his team in great nick at the moment and Starscope is sure to start a warm order in this afternoon’s Swettenham Stud Fillies’ Trial (2.10pm) at Newbury. She ran an absolute cracker to finish runner-up in the QIPCO 1000 Guineas, but isn’t certain to stay this 10 furlongs and I will be taking her on with Hughie Morrison’s SHIROCCO STAR.
Darryl Holland’s mount won her maiden at this track last October and although she has to improve massively, the step up in distance will help. I expect her to make the running and she could be hard to peg back at what will be a decent each-way price.
Gosden can get in the winner’s enclosure with DEIA SUNRISE in the 3.45pm. He found just one too good at Newmarket’s Guineas meeting and still looks dangerously well-handicapped off his unchanged mark of 79.
LETHAL FORCE finished fourth in last year’s Coventry Stakes and was an impressive winner on his seasonal debut at Bath last month. He can land the Listed Carnarvon Stakes (4.20pm) for Clive Cox.
Finally, it’s worth having a few quid each-way at 20/1 on Denis Coakley’s GABRIEL’S LAD in tomorrow’s coralchampionsclub.co.uk Sprint Trophy (2.45pm) at Newmarket. He won his maiden at Kempton and is very well-regarded by his shrewd trainer.
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Pointers…
SHIROCCO STAR e/w 2.10pm Newbury (today)
RED CADEAUX 2.30pm York (today)
DEIA SUNRISE 3.45pm Newbury (today)
LETHAL FORCE 4.20pm Newbury (today)
GABRIEL’S LAD e/w 2.45pm Newmarket (tomorrow)
EXCELEBRATION e/w 3.40pm Newbury (tomorrow)