Frankel holds on to keep unbeaten tag
UNBEATEN superstar Frankel stretched his winning run to seven by claiming the St James’s Palace Stakes on the opening day of Royal Ascot but winning trainer Sir Henry Cecil was forced to defend jockey Tom Queally after his charge was nearly pipped at the post.
Sent off as the overwhelming 30-100 favourite Frankel made his move when turning for home and quickly established a five-length lead. He looked set for another convincing victory, but began to tire in the closing stages and was close to being hauled in by the fast finishing Zoffany, ridden by Ryan Moore.
Frankel held on for a three-quarters of a length success, but the closing stages represented the first chink in the armour of a horse previously thought of as unbeatable.
Cecil, however, was far from concerned that the winning distance was nowhere near as comprehensive as in his previous Group 1 victories and nor was he perturbed by Queally’s performance aboard flat racing’s star attraction.
“The plan was to go before the bend, but the pacemaker went off very quickly and Tom really asked him to catch him,” he said. “Tom said he was getting really idle which is good in a way as it means we can ride a normal race on him.
“He strode on in the Royal Lodge here last year, but now he’s getting wiser and he thought he’d done enough. It was just like in the Guineas.”
Looking further ahead, Cecil will continue discussions with Frankel’s owner Prince Khalid Abdullah.
He explained: “I never like three-year-olds to meet four-year-olds until later in the season
“He’ll be entered in the Sussex Stakes and he’ll be entered in the Juddmonte International. The question with the Juddmonte is whether he will stay.”
Were Frankel to run at Goodwood he could potentially be up against Canford Cliffs, winner of yesterday’s Queen Anne Stakes, in the Sussex Stakes.
Richard Hannon’s stable star received a splendid ride from Richard Hughes beating the fancied Goldikova into second place.
Elsewhere, Prohibit provided Robert Cowell with the biggest success of his career by winning the King’s Stand Stakes, while Aidan O’Brien’s well backed Power won the Group Two Coventry Stakes.