belfasttelegraph

Friday 24 May 2013

Frankel's one to beat

Haz done it: Haziyna, ridden by Ben Curtis, wins the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Handicap at Navan yesterday

Popular beat combos and prizes for wearing clothes may have their place on the modern racecourse but, happily, the prospect of seeing a good horse is at the heart of it all.

More than 20,000, for instance, the biggest crowd in half a century, turned up at Doomben, Brisbane, on Saturday to see Australian wonder mare Black Caviar take her unbeaten sequence to 13.

And in these parts, when and if the clash between Canford Cliffs and Frankel happens, it will likewise keep the turnstiles clicking.

"I expect that one or two might turn up to watch," said Teddy Grimthorpe, racing manager to the latter's owner Khalid Abdullah.

Neither camp - Canford Cliffs is part-owned by another of the sport's highest rollers, the Coolmore partnership - is likely to duck the showdown if it is on their horse's logical progression through the season.

Each colt has proved his brilliance in the best company at a mile - three-year-old Frankel in the 2,000 Guineas earlier in the month, four-year-old Canford Cliffs in the Lockinge Stakes two days ago - but the trainers of both, respectively Henry Cecil and Richard Hannon, have indicated that a step up to 10 furlongs in due course has been pencilled in.

Canford Cliffs' running style, to shadow and pounce, is in contrast to Frankel's trailblazing speed and the deployment of each on the same stretch of turf, over whatever distance, would be some draw.

If the pair are to meet over a mile, then Wednesday, July 27, when the Sussex Stakes is run at Goodwood, is the day to book off work, and if over a mile and a quarter, it's Wednesday, August 17, for the Juddmonte International at York.

"Now we've taught ours to settle, I wouldn't be afraid of moving up," said Hannon.

"But we'll happily take Frankel, or any other horse, on at eight or 10 furlongs. Any where, any time. They can certainly run, but they can't hide. Bring 'em on."

Both horses are scheduled to turn up on the same day at Royal Ascot next month, though not in the same contest.

But still, get Tuesday, June 14 in the diary.

Frankel's task against his contemporaries in the St James's Palace Stakes was not looking hard, but may now be even easier after Wootton Bassett lost his unbeaten record at Longchamp yesterday as 2-1 favourite for the French 2,000 Guineas.

The Richard Fahey-trained colt was swamped in the closing stages and finished fifth.

The race was won by Tin Horse and a crack at Frankel at Royal Ascot is now in the grey's appointment book.

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