Frankel (left) was too good for Canford Cliffs (right) in last year’s Sussex
PICTURE: Mark Cranham (racingpost.com/photos), BY PETER SCARGILL10:20AM 30 JUL 2012
FRANKEL will have just a trio of opponents in the Qipco Sussex Stakes for a second year running as he aims to extend his magnificent unbeaten sequence to 12 from 12.
With Frankel having dispatched every challenger put up against him by Aidan O’Brien, the Ballydoyle maestro did not declare any of his three runners, while champion trainer Richard Hannon has diverted Strong Suit to the Prix Maurice de Gheest.
Those absentees mean only Farhh, supplemented for the Group 1 contest by Godolphin, and Gabrial, from the Richard Fahey stable, are outside rivals to Frankel with stablemate Bullet Train also left in the race.
Last year, Frankel took apart a field that included Canford Cliffs, Rio De La Plata and Rajsaman and he is rated 18lb higher than Farhh, 29lb higher than Bullet Train and 32lb higher than Gabrial for this year’s race.
PICTURE: Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)
Frankel’s trainer Sir Henry Cecil says he has been happy with his star since he annihilated his rivals in the Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot.
“Everything has gone as we could have wished with Frankel since the Queen Anne Stakes. We gave him an easy time immediately after Royal Ascot before bringing him back into fast work,” Cecil told his website.
“He has pleased us with his work and is going to the Sussex Stakes in good shape. We are taking one race at a time with him and are hoping that he can extend his unbeaten record.”
However, Cecil will not be present at Goodwood on Wednesday and added: “Unfortunately, I won’t be at Goodwood on Wednesday as I have been undergoing some treatment. Although I am able to train my horses I’m not quite fit to go racing yet, but I hope to be fully recovered in the near future.”
3:10 p.m. (eng. time), Goodwood, WED 1 AUG 2012
Good 1m Number of runners: 4
NO. DRAW FORM |
HORSE | AGE | WGT OR |
JOCKEY TRAINER RTF% |
TS | RPR | BEST ODDS | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1278-46 | BULLET TRAIN
43
|
5 |
9-7
111
|
84 | 118 | |||
241-132 | FARHH
25
|
4 |
9-7
122
|
129 | 135 | |||
33111-11 | FRANKEL
43
|
4 |
9-7
140
|
132 | 149 | |||
410-7215 | GABRIAL
43
|
3 |
9-0
108
|
114 | 123 | |||
Racingpost.
Vi teniamo informati, ora per ora sulle Sussex di Goodwood che sono diventate un appuntamento di grandissimo rilievo: riusciranno i contendenti a far “sudare” Frankel. Intanto gli O’Brien, che erano 3, stanno tutti a casa.
Daniele Fortuzzi