Frankel will face a maximum of seven rivals in next week's Sussex Stakes, with 8 horses standing their ground at the latest declaration stage: Bullet Train Farhh Frankel Gabrial Ishvana Power Reply Strong Suit (doubtful) Frankel will have to give 7lbs to Gabrial, Power and Reply and 10lbs to Ishvana Paddy Power are offering the following odds: 1/10 Frankel 4/1 Fahrr 16/1 Power 16/1 Strong Suit 50/1 Ishvana 66/1 Gabrial 100/1 Reply 200/1 Bullet Train During my visit to Warren Place this morning, the head girl told us not to expect a Royal Ascot-like performance at Goodwood. They want to keep him sweet for York. Sussex Stakes Photos
That's the plan at the moment, providing next week goes well. I didn't get to see him work this morning, I believe he goes out first lot at about 7am, but by all accounts he is bouncing at the moment.
Or just watch the race... but to clarify my opinion. It might as well be some crap claimer at Lingfield for all I care. I want to see competition in sport. There's none there.
His maiden threw up 3 G1 winners, so can hardly be described as weak Is it Frankel's fault that other trainers are too scared to take him on? It cuts both ways.
I would be very surprised if he were asked for maximum effort with his step up to 10f at York just 3 weeks away. However, he is so far superior to this field that it is hard to imagine that he won't win by a very very convincing margin, even if he does so 'on the bridle'.
Let's look at the card objectively: Bullet Train - pacemaker, but a decent horse in his own right winning a G3 as a 3yo Farhh - lightly raced dual G1 placed Frankel - need I say anything Gabrial - handicap winner, in it for the place money Ishvana - G3 winner, G1 placed Power - dual G1 winner Reply - pacemaker, but dual G1 placed Stromg Suit - G2 winner, dual G1 placed Whist not the greatest G1 field ever assembled, I would not describe it as a bad field when 6 of the 7 runners have G1 form.
As I think someone else mentioned, Frankel could win the Triumph Hurdle pulling a plough and someone would crab the time
I’ll tune into the old Sussex Stakes and hope Frankel obliges but in all honesty people it should be little more than an exercise gallop for him. The fact that those bookie chappies are shouting 1/10 re him and on official ratings he is 15 pounds+ clear of everything else tells its own story. Should really be a case once again of ‘Frankel first, the rest nowhere’. I see though that an equally big draw to Goodwood next Wednesday should be the sight of Mr Henderson, the forums favourite trainer, in his Panama. He’s 3 entered in the ‘card commencer’ (the stamina sapping 21 furlong handicap) and really seems to be going all out to regain the prize he won in 2010. The recent multiple winning hurdler Cape Express looks mega interesting off just 84 and he’d be my pick of his runners at this stage. Am really looking forward to another jovial post race congratulatory interview between Mr Henderson and the lovely Ems Spencer.
Final declarations are in, Ballydoyle are running scared of Frankel and have withdrawn their runners. Frankel will face just 3 rivals - Farhh, Gabrial and Bullet Train.
This field is so bad its almost too bad to be true. He could win this going backwards and will go off at 1/20 on... Obviously a race to watch and enjoy a wonderful racehorse strutting his stuff but I cant help feeling that he should have gone for the POW stakes and Eclipse before York. I am certain he would have still been unbeaten had he gone that route instead of what he as took. Surely a man of Henry Cecil's genius knew last year how Frankel finished the Queen Elizabeth II stakes off that he would get 10 furlongs standing on his head, When he states '' He'll tell Me when he wants 10 furlongs '' What is he going to be doing differently? Cantering different, Eating differently? Tom Queally nearly ended up in Windsor after the Queen Anne Stakes he took that much pulling up. Its always a case of what might have been, Shame really. It seems to Me that his unbeaten record is obviously more important that winning the big races, York is an absolute graveyard for Champions just ask a certain Joe Mercer and the machine he was sat on that day in 1972. Frankel will win on Wednesday by 8 lengths on the bridle, This field is that bad....
