SUSSEX STAKES

As eagerly awaited a clash as i can ever remember,Frankel puts his unbeaten reputation on the line against Canford Cliffs.The showdown between these two will hopefully deliver the goods and not be a damp squib but as with the small field King George i can see this turning tactical and messy.I was hoping,for the good of the race if nothing else,that a few more would stand there ground and that a true honest pace be guaranteed but with just the four and really only two of those counting we could get anything in the way of pace.I reckon the small field will have made Queallys mind up for him,he wont be dropping in and taking a pull,he'll be out on the front end but going a pace to suit himself and not Canford,if Frankel is used up like he was at Ascot and to a certain degree at Newmarket then hes a sitting duck in the last 150yds,his run must be timed to perfection.At Ascot his run was from the five to the two,at Newmarket it was from the six to the three,around this track he has to be played later,to my mind his big run must come from the three to the jam stick,he has to make Canford quicken to get to him then quicken again to beat him,only absolutely exceptional horses can quicken twice in a race and i personally dont think Canford Cliifs can quicken twice but thats the questions that are going to needed to be asked.If Frankel goes too early he will flatten out like at Ascot,if he goes too late he will "tow" Canford through with him and in all probability be outpaced in the final drive for the line,Queally has a difficult job on but if he finally gets the fractions right then i'm of the opinion that Canford wont get close enough to worry him.If both run their races and everyone hopes they do then i have Frankel winning comfortably,he is an exceptional colt who with progression could end up being allowed a place at the top table of milers that we have seen since the War.

Frankel's form line keeps on getting a boost, very similar to what happened to Sea the Stars a couple of years back.
Nathaniel who I think remains the horse which has got closest to Frankel in his races won the King George on Saturday.
Zoffany who was 2nd to Frankel at Royal Ascot beat Strong Suit last time out, and look how good he was today.

the concern for me about Frankel is
1) Canford Cliffs has proven form at Goodwood, after all he won this last year
2) Richard Hughes proved today he is in exceptional form

and 3) if Frankel doesnt get the timings right as racingnut has mentioned then he wont win.

I can see it being close, with Frankel to lead, stay in front, and be far enough in front of Canford Cliffs to hold on by say half a length.

Frankel should win.

However, I think the outcome will be purely dependent on how the race is run.

At Newmarket in the 2000 Guineas and at Royal Ascot Frankel hit the front far too soon and idled in the last furlong. If they push Frankel out into the lead today, I think he will get beat. I believe Canford Cliffs has a decent cruising speed and can travel must closer to Frankel than any other horses could in his previous races.

Frankel would be far better of if the race was run at a crawl as he could then use his explosive power to surge clear near the finish.

That said, I can see Frankie Dettori pushing Rio De La Plata out from the start and possible trying to pinch the race?

It's nearly time!

Anyone else watching?

Solerina

Can't believe how excited I am about this!!!

Come on Frankel!!

Good God what does Emma Spencer look like in that stupid hat?!!

Aaaarrrgggghhh!!!!!

Frankel!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That was amazing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Solerina

I feel sick after that lol.

Hope you all managed to watch that.....that was the best run ever from Frankel!!!

Solerina

That was something special by Frankel, was in total awe through that race.

Dass wrote:That was something special by Frankel, was in total awe through that race.

Hello Dass......it was something else wasn't it?!

I've gotta go now.....see you all tomorrow.....I'm so happy!!

Solerina

Knew he was special before th race but thought CC is a top top horse so it will be close. No matter what Richard Hannon says Frankel just took apart CC during that race.

A truly outstanding performance by a miler right out of the top draw,ridden to the letter for the first time this season.The bare bones,black and white form probably flatters the second,third and fourth as Frankel was in a different league.Canford Cliffs may have hung because he was feeling something but he never,ever looked like troubling the monsterous victor.In my opinion theres probably better to come from the winner,he was powering away at the finish and over a stiiffer mile he might have clocked a double digit winning distance,he is very difficult to evaluate in terms of a rating,he is just in a different parish to anything around at this moment in time.He would certainly grace any post War Championship mile event and whilst its always hard to compare horses from various era's,Frankel does,without doubt,deserve to mentioned in the same breath as Brigadier Gerard,Tudor Minstrel,Zafonic,El Gran Senor and the like.A quite brilliant colt.

Three Certs In Life..............

Death

Taxes

Frankel

Frankel: what a horse.

Richard Hannon: What a poor loser.

Came across as racing's Tiger Woods. Its only good when you're winning.

Glad that connections looked to have seen sense and have pinpointed the QE2 as his next port of call,theres plenty of time for him to tackle the big 10f pots,possibly next year if he does ,as they have stated,stay in training.With a years strenghtening up and a more mature outlook on what is being asked of him in his races then we could,as Sir Henry has opined,be looking at one of the best ever.

I will definitely try to get to Ascot for Frankel's next run.
Otherwise I am still against the revamped Champions Day though.

racingnut - what races do you think he could be aimed at next year?
I am thinking a race at Royal Asot and the International at York. Any others ?

It all depends on what sort of campaign they want with him,if hes going to end up maybe Stateside for one of the Breeders Cup events then hes going to have to have a break in the mid Summer period so you might see him go something like Lockinge then a step up to 10 for maybe the Prince of Wales at Royal Ascot or the Eclipse.If hes going to race solely in Europe then i would expect to see him in all the big 10f pots(if he stays),the aforementioned two with possibly the Juddmonte or Irish Champion thrown in.If it all goes pear shaped over 10 then he can always drop back to a mile although to be honest he doesnt have anything to prove at that trip.

I would like an end to people comparing the Frankel to Sea The Stars.

I think a comparison with Rock Of Gibralter is far more accurate at this moment and i would have Frankel slightly ahead in mhy estimation at the moment.

When Frankel either dominates over a mile over 2 years like Goldikova with a Breeders Cup thrown in or wins G1 at 8 10 and 12 furlongs he can be considered for the pantheon of greats.

Racing is all down to opinions,we all have our own as to the varying ability of certain horses.I for one wouldnt think that Frankel compares to Rock of Gibraltar but thats your view and i aint going to decry it.To be honest ive seen them all since the Brigadier and Frankel is right there among the very best of them.Only my view but i think that Rock of Gibraltar and Sea the Stars were very similar in that there achievements in winning what they did were great but it doesnt always follow for that reason you are a great horse.Rock was a very good miler no doubt but i thought Sea the Stars was over rated on the absloute barebones of his form,in fact i stated on the other 606 that it was my considered and studied opinion that the Classic colts of that season were over rated en mass,needless to say i was pilloried but ive got broad shoulders.
Whichever way they go with Frankel,he still has progression,his pedigree tells you that and he might end up as one of the true giants of the post War racing period.