Are we on the verge of a vintage flat season in Europe, I genuinely believe we could be! * First of all we have Frankel a horse who looked super equine in the 2000 Guineas, most people including myself would of laughed if someone told them a horse could go flat out from start to finish in the Guineas, and still win easily. I have never seen a horse win a G1 in Europe in that manner!* We have So You Think, the Australian wonder horse, who's trainer in Australia a man who has won 12 Melbourne Cups says he hasn't trained one better. AOB is the lucky trainer in Europe who has been given this beast, and he was quoted as saying "He's incredible - a different creature to what we've ever seen before and we're just very lucky to have him" If that's not high praise then I don't know what is, when you consider some of the great horses AOB has trained over the years, I realy cannot wait to see him at Royal Ascot. *I normally only go to Ascot for the Tuesday, but I think I'm going to have to go on Wednesday aswell now, to see this superstar in action! We have the first Derby winner since Sir Percy to remain in training as a 4 year old, in Workforce, who also won Europes premier flat race the Arc last season. We realy are lucky to have Workforce for another year, it's very rare a horse that achieved as much as he did at 3 remain in training at 4, so hats off to Kallad Abdullah for doing what's right for the sport! We are also lucky to have a few of the other 3 year old stars from last season. Dante, Irish Derby and Irish Champion Stakes winner Cape Blanco! Irish Guineas, St James's Palace, and Sussex Stakes winner Canford Cliff, who has also won the Lockinge on debut as a 4 year old! The only high class 3 year old we lost to stud last season was Makfi!* We seen 2 other horses at Chester this season, who I believe could finaly reach there true potential as 4 year olds, they are the AOB trained Await The Dawn and St Nicholas Abbey, who never reached there true potential as 3 year olds, but looking at there runs at Chester i have faith that both could play a big part in the biggest races this season!* We have Goldikova, the 13 time G1 winning mare who looks likely to take her place in the Queen Anne again at Royal Ascot! We have Midday a mare who was dominant in the fillies G1s last season, and she looked as good as ever on seasonal debut at York. Henry Cecil has said she will take her chance against the colts for the first time in the Coronation Cup, and I wouldn't be suprised to see her go close, and if she puts up a good showing then there's every chance we will see her against the colts in other top races again. Twice Over is another who deserves a mention, how can we ignore a duel Champion Stakes winner, and he will as usual be there or there abouts, in the top 10f races this season!*** We have all this to look forward to and that's without knowing what's going to happen at Epsom in a week or so, another star is bound to come from that race, and the red hot favourite is the Queens Carlton House, if he wins, it will bring the roof down, and then she will have a horse to go to war with in the biggest races!* Could you imagine an Arc field containing Frankel, So You Think, Workforce, St Nicholas Abbey, Midday and the 2011 Derby winner, possibly the Queens Carlton House and that's without ignoring the talent the French may have! Races such as the Eclipse, the International, the King George, and both the Irish and now Ascot Champion Stakes could also see big clashes!* So which horses are you going to be siding with, for me So You Think and Frankel will go unbeaten all season, unless they meet each other, and If they do, il just watch and enjoy! ** What a season it could be, let's hope it's not ruined by trainers dodging the other big guns, to save there own horses reputations! We have already had SMS dodging So You Think in the Tatts Gold Cup, making up some lame excuse for Workforce! Richard Hannon is another who I can see ducking the big*challenges with Canford Cliffs, I wouldn't be suprised to see another dirty scope coming up, if a clash with Frankel is on the cards! Let's just hope we see the best horses in facing off in the biggest races, and we could have one of the greatest flat seasons in recent memory! ** * *
Nice article Ks,hope it does turn out to be a "vintage" year but i have the feeling it will turn out more like a nice bottle of ice wine.
I agree completely with everything you say. I think there is every chance that this can be a vintage year for flat racing. I would also say Frankel and So You Think will be unbeaten this year. They have both looked exceptional on the evidence currently available. Provided they don't clash i don't see anything else to challenge their dominance as yet. I don't think Hannon will be ducking any clashes this year. He seems very keen to take on both Goldikova and Frankel with his star miler Canford Cliffs. I think Canford will have the mare's measure but he won't be getting anywhere near Frankel, provided that rival is able to maintain his form. I'm going to the Tuesday of Royal Ascot which should be a cracker with the big three in the miling division all on show. But i am very keen to see So You Think in the flesh as well and if Workforce goes to the Prince Of Wales then i might well be tempted to go for the second day too. A very exciting year in prospect.
Reminds me of the great match ups of the mid 80's.So lets hope they all happen. But I think SYT will remain unbeaten,but i dont think Frankel be. I can see CC becoming the champion miler.SYT the champion middle distance horse,with a very honourable mention for St Nicholas abbey.And finally, my dream would be to see Goldy v Frankel v CC in the BC mile.
For me So You Think won't be beaten between 10-12f and Frankel won't be touched over a mile! St Nicholas Abbey could prove to be the biggest threat to So You Think if he builds on his Chester performance - will see who he ends up taking on next week at Epsom and how he goes! Workforce v St Nicholas Abbey would be good to see - last season's Derby winner and the horse who was ante-post favourite! If Canford Cliffs beats Frankel he'd have to do so conceding 8lbs in the Sussex - for me that's just not happening unless something goes amiss! A Breeders Cup meeting with those two and Goldikova would certainly be something to savour!!
Yes I think Shergy's point about so many top class Flattys staying in training is a major plus. That's possibly why I can never feel the same affection for these flat horses as they are often whipped off to stud after their 3 yo campaigns. I'm very much looking forward to seeing Canford Cliffs run, he's probably my favourite flat horse for a while and I'm probably in a class of one that thinks he might, just might give the monstrous beast that is Frankel a race should they meet
Great upbeat article Shergar. Thanks. Depending on what the clashes are I might be tempted to come over for Ascot myself. I wonder if SNA could be today's version of the great Alcide. Super horse who was forced to miss the Derby through inflicted injury. I vividly remember being in a sea front cafe in Brighton with my mum and dad in the summer of 1958 and being told by some chap who appeared to be in the know that Alcide was special and WILL be back to prove he is the best. The rest is history. Extract from Wikipedia: "Alcide (1955-1973) was a British Thoroughbred racehorse. It is widely believed that Alcide would have won Epsom's 1958 Derby had not foul play prevented him from running. A form line through Nagami, who was third in the Derby and when racing against Alcide, gives credence to that theory. At the time there was an alarming amount of villainy in racing and there seems no doubt that he had been hit when in his stable and sustained a broken rib. As a two-year-old Alcide had won the Horris Hill Stakes at Newbury Racecourse and his first success in his second season was in the Chester Vase. He then romped home in the Lingfield Derby Trial and after he had recovered from his injury he won the Great Voltigeur Stakes by 12 lengths and the St. Leger by eight. He was held up in his preparation for the Ascot Gold Cup the following season, but even so was only just beaten by Wallaby II. Six weeks later he won the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes and retired to stud as the winner of eight races worth £56,042."
Ron - Yeats too - missed the Derby for less suspect reasons and the rest is history! Would they keep SNA in training for next season too? Beef - That's why my preference has always been for the jumps - being able to see a horse over a few years rather than over one! This season could be one to hopefully change that though!
