Frankel silences critics with Juddmonte International
triumph
Despite never having raced beyond one mile, Frankel didn’t give connections,
nor his burgeoning fan club, a moment’s worry when streaking to yet another
mighty impressive triumph in Wednesday’s Group 1 Juddmonte International Stakes
at York.
Forty years after the great Brigadier Gerard met with his only career defeat
on the Knavesmire, Juddmonte’s Galileo avoided the same fate with a stunning
seven-length victory over Farhh, who edged St Nicholas Abbey by a nose, to
extend his winning streak to 13, and his aggregate winning margin to 76 lengths,
in the track’s Ebor Festival feature.
Slowest from the gate and slotting into seventh behind a fast early tempo,
the 1-10 favorite cruised effortlessly to the fore on the bridle entering the
final quarter-mile. Jockey Tom Queally’s only work was to gather the reins twice
for the wonder horse to scoot clear into a tunnel of rapturous applause from the
20,000-strong crowd.
Frankel was greeted by emotional scenes in the winner’s circle, too, where
trainer Sir Henry Cecil was on hand — after further treatment for his ongoing
illness — to welcome back his unbeaten protege.
“That was great for Yorkshire, as the crowd is very supportive of racing, and
they deserved to see him,” a visibly frail Cecil whispered. “It makes me feel 20
years better.”
Frankel’s ongoing domination of Britain’s miling scene had seen him equal
Rock of Gibraltar’s European record of seven straight Group 1 scores with
victory in the Group 1 Sussex Stakes at Goodwood last out on August 1, and he
claimed that record outright with yet another imperious performance stepped up
to an extended 10 furlongs for the first time here.
Caught blinking as the gates were flung open, Frankel was swiftly slotted
into seventh by Queally as Ballydoyle’s rabbit contingent of Robin Hood and
Windsor Palace usurped usual pacemaker and three-brother Bullet Train for the
lead, although the latter was ideally placed as a reference point in third for
much of the contest. The pace was strong and it was carried through into the
half-mile straight where the protagonists began to close on the waning leaders.
Queally sat motionless as Frankel made a beeline for the stands’ side rail
while cruising onto the heels of the front rank with three furlongs remaining.
The powerful bay was still hard on the steel entering the final quarter-mile and
little more than a quick check of the steering gear was sufficient encouragement
from the saddle for him to bound clear of toiling rivals yet again.
“I suspected they would go a good gallop, so we had our plan in place,”
Queally explained. “(Jockey) Eddie (Ahern) did a good job on Bullet Train and it
all panned out nicely. I gave them enough of a lead for the pace they were
going, he won ever so well and I’m delighted to be part of it. He’s certainly as
good over 10 furlongs as he is over a mile, and it was a fantastic training
performance by Sir Henry.”
The latter sentiment was echoed by Racing Manager Teddy Grimthorpe.
“That was absolutely fantastic,” Grimthorpe stated. “For Sir Henry and the
team to bring Frankel to York in such great shape. It is a brilliant crowd which
has appreciated him and then for the horse to perform as he did is an absolute
dream. We’re all living the dream.”
Britain’s bookmakers were quick to react to Frankel’s scintillating triumph
in his first try at beyond one mile, and quote the four-year-old at a general
1-4 for the 12-furlong Group 1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp on October
7. While that may prove to be the usual money-gathering public relations
exercise, there remains a slim possibility the homebred could make the line-up
for Europe’s end-of-season championship at the Bois de Boulogne track, according
to connections.
“He is not entered in the Arc as (Sir) Henry (Cecil) didn’t want him in the
race and he’d have to supplemented in any case,” Grimthorpe said. “There will
obviously be discussion and we’ll have to see. The original plan was to go for
either the Group 1 Champion Stakes or Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot
(on October 20), but we’ll have to see how he comes out of this race first.”
“I will discuss things Henry and it depends on what he wants to do,” owner
Prince Khalid Abdullah added. “I didn’t think a mile-and-a-quarter was a
problem, but further than that I’m not sure.”
Connections of the vanquished accepted their role in yet more history making
and were fulsome in their praise of the unbeaten winner.
“Farhh has tried very hard, but he has finished second again,” trainer Saeed
bin Suroor said. “As we knew before, the winner is in a different class to
everything else.”
Aidan O’Brien, who saddled St Nicholas Abbey, added, “We are delighted with
our fellow, but have no immediate plans for him. We will try to find a race
without Frankel. He is an incredible horse.”
Dundonnell began the celebration for Prince Khalid Abdullah even before
Frankel’s scintillating victory when taking the Group 3 Acomb Stakes by three
parts of a length earlier on the card.
Steadied in the rear, behind all four rivals, the First Defence juvenile
cruised upside the front rank with three furlongs remaining. In command soon
after, Dundonnell required a degree of urging to compensate for a tendency to
wander about in front inside the final quarter-mile and was comfortably on top
at the line to register a first pattern-race score.
“There weren’t many runners and they went slow for the first couple of
furlongs,” jockey James Doyle said. “He has a lovely big stride, he covers so
much ground and has a fantastic cruising speed. He is very talented and has a
lot of gears, but I found myself in front too soon. He helped me out a bit there
and I’m delighted with him.”
Dundonnell hit the board in a hot maiden at Newmarket in his July 13 debut
and demolished the opposition by 12 lengths and more in track-record time when
shedding maiden status at Lingfield last out on August 4.
“I was really impressed with that and he took a lot of pulling up,” trainer
Roger Charlton said. “There is a lot of speed in his pedigree, so he’s not a
mile-and-a-half horse. There is no rush to make a plan, but he now deserves to
step up in grade. A fast-ground mile will suit him, so we’ll discuss matters
with Prince Khalid (Abdullah) and (Racing Manager) Teddy Grimthorpe.”
While Frankel took center stage at the Ebor meeting Wednesday, Thought Worthy
posted a nice neck victory in the Group 2 Great Voltigeur Stakes going 1 1/2
miles in advance of the Group 1 St Leger.
This prestigious contest has been the launchpad to St Leger success for 24
previous winners of the world’s oldest classic at Doncaster, and Thought Worthy
has something of a family tradition to uphold if he is to join that illustrious
honor roll in 23 days’ time. Full brother Lucarno used this trial before
claiming glory at the Town Moor track five years ago, and George Strawbridge’s
homebred son of Dynaformer provided ample evidence of the battling qualities
which will be required there with a game front-running performance here.
Thought Worthy once again crossed swords with Thomas Chippendale and Noble
Mission in this spot following a third behind those two’s respective first and
second in the Group 2 King Edward VII at Royal Ascot last out on June 22. The
sophomore was just behind the latter rival as the pair gave best to Thomas
Chippendale, who was conceding a telling three pounds here. Leading at a sedate
tempo from the outset, Thought Worthy was rousted into action soon after turning
for home and stayed on resolutely under a final-quarter drive to bravely repel
Group 1 Epsom Derby runner-up Main Sequence.
“It was always the plan to go forward as he gallops very well, stays very
well and he battled on really gamely there,” jockey William Buick explained.
“You have admire a horse like this as he sticks his head out and always tries
his best. He has done little wrong in his career and that was a nice trial for
the (September 15) St Leger. I tried to get the others to race, to see how
they’d handle it, and this lad has come out best.”
Thought Worthy bagged a Newcastle maiden in his only juvenile go last
October, but was caught out by the enterprisingly ridden Imperial Monarch in
Sandown’s Group 3 Classic Trial in his sophomore return on April 28. He regained
the winning habit, at the expense of Frankel’s brother and his now-regular foe
Noble Mission, in a thrilling renewal of the May 19 listed Fairway Stakes at
Newmarket, and shaped with credit, albeit no match for Camelot, when fourth in
the Epsom Derby next out on June 2.
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