From Racing Post: £1m Sussex clash offered to Frankel and Caviar By Peter Scargill 00:01AM 5 APR 2012 A £1 MILLION carrot has been dangled in front of the connections of Frankel and Black Caviar in an attempt to bring the world's two highest-rated horses together in the Qipco Sussex Stakes. Won last year by Frankel, the 1m Sussex Stakes has a prize fund of £300,000 and the increasingly influential Sheikh Fahad, who sponsors the race, has promised to inject a further £700,000 into the pot if the two unbeaten stars line up at Goodwood on August 1. The prospects of Frankel and Black Caviar clashing are likely to be determined by the programmes the pair are set, with a 1m2f campaign the idea for Frankel while Black Caviar is yet to race beyond 7f. Should Frankel fail to stay, he could be dropped back to 1m while Black Caviar's trainer Peter Moody has previously stated his openness to races for his mare after she runs inthe Diamond Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot. "I'm not sure if [meeting Frankel] will come off, but I'm quite bullish about it," Moody had told the Australian media in February. "I'm sure there will be plenty of overtures once we get to England and we'll look at them then." Frankel's trainer Sir Henry Cecil has also said that the Sussex Stakes would be the most probable race for the pair to meet in and Sheikh Fahad believes the two can be tempted into competing. He said: "In their respective home countries, Frankel and Black Caviar have ignited levels of public interest matched only by true champions of the past. The sport is blessed to have two such outstanding horses competing at the same time and consequently we felt it would be remiss not to make every effort to try to bring about the race everyone wants to see. "The Sussex Stakes is arguably the only realistic chance of the two horses meeting, and we are delighted to make the gesture of increasing the prize fund to £1m as an incentive to the connections of both horses to run at Goodwood." My honest opinion? I can't see it happening. When I spoke to Sir Henry's secretary a few months ago she told me they had no interest in taking Black Caviar on. If she turned up in a race they were already targetting, fine, but they were not going to seek her out. I really can't see that Black Caviar's connections would be willing to step her up to a mile for the first time ever in a G1 against a monster of a horse, over such an unforgiving track as Goodwood. It would be great if they did meet, but honestly I can't see it happening.
A response from the Black Caviar camp: Caviar camp will strongly consider Frankel clash By James Burn 9:11AM 5 APR 2012 BLACK CAVIAR'S trainer Peter Moody on Thursday said he would strongly consider running his brilliant mare against Frankel in the Sussex Stakes at Goodwood thissummer, but added "it wouldn't be the end of the world" if Flat racing's best two horses did not meet. Sheikh Fahad, who sponsors the 1m Group 1 through his company Qipco, has promised to inject £700,000 into the race - swelling the prize-money to £1 million - if the two unbeaten stars line up at Goodwood on August 1. "It's certainly a great initiative from the sponsors and Goodwood and certainly something we'll consider strongly," said Moody, who has saddled Black Caviar to 19 successive victories - nine at the highest level. "This mare has raced in races we've thought she'd be best suited to her whole career and the £1 million certainly wouldn't sway us. If she was in good form and ready to go there we'll strongly consider it. "The two races I've earmarked for her are the July Cup at Newmarket following the Diamond Jubilee at Ascot. She'd have to come through both those races extremely well to even consider it. "Both horses have to be in form. Not only my filly, but Frankel would have to be in the right form. I don't think it's only a matter of whether Black Caviar arrives, it's probably very much a matter of if Frankel arrives." A clash between the two would arguably be one of the biggest of recent times on the Flat, but Moody added: "I don't have a great wish or need to take on Frankel. Don't read that for one minute that we feel inferior to him. It's just one's a filly and one's an entire and they race over different distances. To bring them together would be great for thesport on a world level, but it won't be the end of the world if it doesn't happen." Sprinting sensation Black Caviar would be trying 1m for the first time in the Sussex and Moody is optimistic is she would perform with credit. "We've always thought she'd strongly handle 1600m [a mile] even it not a mile and a quarter," he told Sky Sports News. "The problem with our mare is she's such a hulk of mare. She has a massive physique and whether she'd cope with the training for such a distance is probably a greater concern than running the trip in the races. "The other thing is we do have a lot of big prize-money races in Australia she's eligible for and if we did go to Goodwood we'd have forego quite a few of those at our Spring Carnival later in the year. There are a lot of things to consider." Coral quote Frankel, winner of the Sussex last year, at 1-2 for the showdown, while Black Caviar is a 6-4 chance.
I can actually see this happening, not because of the prize money but rather the way Frankel was running in his races over a mile. If he isn't going away from the field in the Lockinge I would expect them to go down the mile route once more, and then it would be up to the connections of Black Caviar to go for the pay day in the Sussex Stakes. I think they would go for it too, its a no lose situation for them, especially if they don't win at Ascot
Especially if they don't win at Ascot . Like that is going to happen. Our sprinters are the very worst.
She can be beaten. Different tracks, different hemisphere. She should win, but I'll be holding my breath for the trip.
Foxwedge is a real animal. He's getting better my the minute. He's been the improver this season. He's going to the Stand, so he might miss the clash.
Ascot is likely to suit Black Caviar more than most British tracks. The undulations and idiosyncrasies of Goodwood however, over a trip she's never tried, will throw up challenges she's never faced before. If connections are brave enough to try that, hats off to them. As for Frankel, he's proven himself over 1m as a 3 year old, so this season will be all about trying to win Gp1s over 1m2f, which he's bred to do. The £1m bonus on offer for the Sussex Stakes is unlikely to tempt connections away from effectively doubling his stud value.
Could be a bit like fantasy boxing - Muhammed Ali vs Sugar Ray Robinson. Even had they been around and at their peaks at the same time, one of them would have had to gain or lose 2.5 stone before they could have met in the ring. Both great masters of the noble art, but comparisons are purely academic.
Breeders are a funny bunch though, always quick to move on to the latest "new thing". Look at Sea the Stars - 140 mares in his first book and just 80-odd in his second. Granted he'll have gone back up in numbers on the back of how well his foals sold last year, but unless the horse is fresh in the mind the breeders don't hang around. I don't know that losing his unbeaten record would do that much damage to his stud value. They could retire him right now and easily charge £70k (on a par with StS fee) for the priviledge. If he were to be beaten, it would be the horse that beat him that would see a big rise in value. You can see the straplines on the adverts now "The horse that beat Frankel!". I'm sure that's what Coolmore are planning anyway!
This clash is probably not going to rake place, there just isn't enough incentive to have them both show up on the same day. A million pound purse is meaningless. The mile is not in the sprinter's best interests. If Sheikh Fahad is really serious about trying to get this concept off the ground, he needs to up the stakes to something serious. Maybe five million. The distance should be more like seven furlongs. This recent offering is just a bit of free advertising for Quipco.
As you say though - the cash isn't an interest, and Henry Cecil would never let Frankel run over 7f now, especially not as late as Goodwood. The only chance they had, I think, which has gone now, was to offer a massive payout on the mile race at Royal Ascot and hope to move Black Caviar to that - Henry Cecil seems fixed in his plans, whilst Peter Moody seems more flexible. ... Not sure what the big deal is really - it's not like either of them are Big Bucks, is it? Stick them in front of a line of hurdles and then we'll see who's got class...*runs and hides*
... Not sure what the big deal is really - it's not like either of them are Big Bucks, is it? Stick them in front of a line of hurdles and then we'll see who's got class...*runs and hides* Big Bucks will never be another Dunguib.
According to Moody in an article the Sydney Morning Herald - it's not going to happen. He's already turned it down! http://www.smh.com.au/sport/horsera...-million-frankel-shootout-20120405-1wfdg.html
Would be huge for racing if it happened but those Coral prices are wrong and will change - no way is Frankel a 2s on shot against a beast of a horse like BC, yes she has all the unfamiliar territory to overcome but assuming she retains her Southern Hemisphere form that would put her on at least a par with Frankel so they should be 10/11 matches, that 6/4 is massive value...
