Frankel clashes with St Nicholas Abbey in Juddmonte

Frankel, who made it a perfect dozen in the Sussex, stretches out in distance and takes on new challengers (Courtesy of Goodwood Racecourse via Facebook) The Ebor Festival, one of the highlights of the British Flat season, starts on Wednesday, when the world’s top-rated horse will be the undoubted headline attraction. The Group 1, £725,000 Juddmonte International is the centerpiece of the opening day, in which Frankel faces just eight rivals as he steps up to about 10 furlongs for the first time. The undefeated Galileo colt seeks new worlds to conquer after dominating the mile division, and trainer Sir Henry Cecil has long targeted the Juddmonte International, over 1 1/4 miles and 88 yards, as the right spot to stretch out. Sponsored by his owner/breeder Prince Khalid Abdulla, the prestigious event was in danger of cutting up in the absence of France’s Cirrus des Aigles and the John Gosden-trained Nathaniel. But Frankel will clash with a couple of top-notch rivals after all — multiple Group 1 star St Nicholas Abbey from the Aidan O’Brien yard and Planteur, a bona fide Group 1 performer on his day.

Since shrugging off an injury scare at the beginning of the season, Frankel
has slammed his opponents in a trio of Group 1s, the May 19 Lockinge at Newbury,
June 19 Queen Anne at Royal Ascot and the August 1 Sussex at Glorious Goodwood.
As if the ruthless manner of his victories wasn’t proof enough of his ability,
his punching bag Excelebration just paid him yet another compliment when
defeating a deep cast in the Group 1 Prix Jacques le Marois.

Although bred to relish this distance, Frankel has been kept to a flat mile
because of his aggressive running style. The more mature Frankel has learned to
bide his time and await Tom Queally’s cue, and that tractability strongly
suggests that he will be just as effective over the extra distance.

“Frankel seems in good order at the moment leading into the Juddmonte,” Cecil
said on his website. “I do not think the distance is going to be a problem,
although we are going into unknown territory.”

Cecil, who was forced to miss Frankel’s appearance at Glorious Goodwood
because of illness, plans to be on hand at York.

“Although I have had some medical treatment recently and not been racing
because my immune system is low, I have been able to work from home,” Cecil
revealed.

“I am very hopeful that I will be able to make it to York on Wednesday to
saddle my horses. I just cannot miss the day and I want to be there for
Frankel.”

Frankel will be joined by his regular lead horse Bullet Train and another
Cecil inmate Twice Over, who won the International last year and finished a
close second in the 2010 edition.

Twice Over, a cherished favorite of Cecil’s, has plenty of back class as
Europe’s champion older horse of 2010. It remains to be seen whether the
seven-year-old veteran is quite the same at this point in his career, but he
comes off an encouraging third to Nathaniel and Juddmonte rival Farhh in the
Group 1 Eclipse on July 7.

“Twice Over is fresh and well, in good form and deserves to take his chance,”
Cecil said. “I do not expect him to beat Frankel, but one never knows and if he
gets placed it will help him earn his keep as well as enhance his Group status.”

St Nicholas Abbey cuts back in trip, but has a strong kick and is adept going left-handed (Breeders’ Cup Ltd.) For the superstitiously-inclined, Frankel is seeking to extend his unbeaten sequence to 13 on Wednesday. And there’s precedent for a high-flying champion to come down to earth at York — Brigadier Gerard lost his perfect record here in the 1972 Benson & Hedges Gold Cup, the very race now known as the Juddmonte International. Of course, the circumstances were entirely different. Brigadier Gerard had already won over farther, and he turned out to be very sick back in the barn. Roberto inflicted that shock defeat upon “The Brigadier,” and auditioning for the Roberto role is St Nicholas Abbey, the most logical challenger to Frankel on paper. Campaigned mostly at 1 1/2 miles as an older horse, St Nicholas Abbey is cutting back in trip. The son of Montjeu captured last fall’s Breeders’ Cup Turf and successfully defended his title in the Group 1 Coronation Cup June 2. St Nicholas Abbey was most recently third in the Group 1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth on July 21, where he tried to rally from too far back and couldn’t threaten Danedream or Nathaniel.

While St Nicholas Abbey was famously upset in his last appearance at 1 1/4
miles, in the Group 3 Mooresbridge at the Curragh on May 7, he had some excuses. He was making
his first start back from Dubai, and jockey Joseph O’Brien rode him
overconfidently and failed to run down stablemate Windsor Palace, who was part
of the Ballydoyle tag team up on the pace.

More significantly, the Mooresbridge was contested over a right-handed track,
and St Nicholas Abbey is much sharper going left-handed, as at York. It’s
questionable whether he has the speed to cope with Frankel, but among mortals,
he’s got a terrific turn of foot. After all, he was an unbeaten champion
two-year-old.

The same relay team from the Mooresbridge, Robin Hood and Windsor Palace, are
also engaged for Ballydoyle in the Juddmonte.

Planteur, shown prior to the Dubai World Cup, is a specialist at the distance (Neville Hopwood/Dubai Racing Club) Planteur is a hit-or-miss type, but when he’s on, the well-bred son of Danehill Dancer is capable of delivering a world-class performance. A comfortable winner of the Group 1 Prix Ganay in 2011 over Sarafina, Cirrus des Aigles and Cape Blanco, Planteur is a true 10-furlong type. He runs better fresh, as evidenced by his third in the Group 1 Dubai World Cup in his reappearance, and resumes from a two-month break here. Ryan Moore, who rode him at Meydan, regains the mount for Marco Botti. Farhh was no match for Frankel in the Sussex, but the Godolphin runner is proven at the Juddmonte distance. After rearing at the start in the Group 1 Prince of Wales’s at Royal Ascot, he rattled home for third to So You Think, and next time in the Eclipse, he threw down a stern challenge to Nathaniel before settling for second. Trainer Saeed bin Suroor has warned that Farhh will only run if the ground is suitable. The Roger Varian-trained Sri Putra completes the line-up. Most recently victorious over Grade 1 Arlington Million runner-up Afsare in the Group 2 York Stakes over this course and distance on July 28, he has placed in three Group 1 events in his career. Sri Putra excels when getting a fast pace on firm ground, and both prerequisites are in the offing Wednesday.

The chief supporting race is the Group 2, £140,000 Great Voltigeur Stakes, in
which Group 1 Derby second Main Sequence features among six runners in the 1
1/2-mile heat. This race is the last recognized trial for the final British
classic of the season, the Group 1 St Leger on September 15.

David Lanigan’s charge found only Camelot too good at Epsom and was
subsequently an unlucky fourth in France.

Frankel’s younger brother Noble Mission and Godolphin runner Encke fought out
a thrilling finish in the Group 3 Gordon Stakes last time and they clash again
here.

Noble Mission’s trainer Cecil also runs Group 2 King Edward VII Stakes winner
Thomas Chippendale while Godolphin trainer Mahmood al Zarooni has a second
string to his bow in ex-German runner Energizer. The latter was snapped up by
the boys in blue following his Royal Ascot win and will be making his Godolphin
bow.

Thought Worthy, third in the King Edward VII and fourth in the Derby,
completes the line-up for John Gosden.

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