2000 Guineas 2011

What on earth is McGraph talking about? Couldn’t disagree more.

What did he say? I didnt hear it.

Jimbo thinks that performance will do him more harm than good in the long run.

My only fear as a racing fan, as with any horse the size of Frankel, is running him too many times on ground on the firm side.

Demolishing high class fields using his speed and massive stride over a mile wont be detrimental to his career, Jim, as long as he doesn’t do it every week!

That was something else. Thought he went off too fast

He did thats why he was getting tired late on.

Best performance I’ve ever seen from any horse.

I’ve been following the sport for twenty years and I’ve never seen anything like that.

Have only seen the footage, but I suppose you can only liken it to Secretariat’s Belmont Stakes victory – going off like a train, the gap gradually widening the further he went, and the crowd cheering long before the finishing line.

That was something else. Thought he went off too fast

He did thats why he was getting tired late on.

Best performance I’ve ever seen from any horse.

I’ve been following the sport for twenty years and I’ve never seen anything like that.

1989 I started following the sport properly and I’m with you never seen a destruction like that.

Henry Cecil said Frankel’s next race would probably be the Dante Stakes at York, over ten furlongs, but that he would discuss it first with the Prince ( Abdullah ).

I can see where Jim mcGrath is coming from, but Frankel is an exceptional horse. He would have won today regardless of tactics.
He had the others floundering and off the bit before half way.

I still have reservations about him staying a mile and a half though.

Over a mile, few will get near him.

I have been a Henry Cecil fan since the early eighties and I was very very very happy initially that Frankel won.

I am nowhere near as happy now however.

If they run Frankel in 12 days time in the Dante at York it will be the worst racing decision that I have EVER seen.

He is not a Derby horse.

He should run in the St James Palace at Royal Ascot as it will give him time to recover from todays race and it is over a mile which now looks to be his maximum.

They have World Domination and maybe one or two others for the Derby.

The horse seems to have changed from last year, he now seems far more free running and almost incapable of staying which he would need to do in the Derby.

He must run at Royal Ascot with a pacemaker who must lead him until the straight.

As for today, I have never seen a classic won like that.

He is an incredible horse who MUST NOT be ruined.

As a race horse how does he compare with Sea the Stars?Which would win a mano a mano (head to head)over any distance from a mile to the Arc?

Sea The Stars would’ve been beaten about three lengths today it was an awful Guineas he won and he was pretty much flat out to do it. Sea The Stars was very versatile and consistant but didn’t have the strongest crop to beat and he didn’t have the ability Frankel has.

2,000 GUINEAS: ANALYSIS

This was easily the most stunning, visually impressive performance I have ever witnessed and much more will be revealed once we have official confirmation of the sectional times.

With many of the leading protagonists running below-par, the 101-rated Dubawi Gold finished a gallant second, with Craven winner, Native Khan (111), not far behind in third. They pulled eleven lengths clear of the 200/1 outsider, Slim Shadey.

Whilst improvement was almost inevitable for Dubawi Gold since joining a top yard, he arguably ran above himself to finish where he did, let alone beat Native Khan, who finished well ahead of that rival in the Racing Post Trophy.

It is almost incomprehensible that Casamento, Roderic O’Connor and Saamidd should fill three of the final four positions. The latter had much to prove, but was well fancied to run a big race, whilst the aforementioned duo were both Group 1 winners as juveniles.

There is no denying the superiority of Frankel over his contemporaries at this distance, but I’m almost certain that the tactics of such an extraordinary beast may have created something of a false result for those in behind – they were just too well strung out, and it would be no surprise to see the form of the race turned upside down as early as the Irish Guineas.

In short, if Frankel had not been in the field, I think the result would have been entirely different from front to back.

Pathfork was weak in the market, Casamento tried chasing a train, whilst a few of the notably talented colts failed to run their race. It was a freakish performance and I doubt those colts will ever compete in a similar event during the remainder of their careers.

Having viewed the respective performances of Makfi and Frankel, it would appear that Frankel covered the first half of the race in much the quicker time – not surprising considering the 2010 renewal was a far from fiercly run contest – yet Makfi recorded a time 0.95 seconds faster.

There can be no arguement that last years renewal was far stronger – I doubt the second, third and fourth this year will accomplish what Dick Turpin, Canford Cliffs and Xtension have over eight furlongs since. They were rated 116, 118 and 117, respectively, at the time of last years contest.

It’s hard to gauge just how much Frankel had left in the tank at the finish. Connections insist he was idling but, as exceptional as he is, I doubt he could run as fast as he did and not feel something towards the business end of the race. How would you have reacted, not knowing the result, if someone told you that Frankel finished 6L in front of Dubawi Gold?

Talk of Frankel competing with the very best over six furlongs is not beyond the realms of possibility, but there’s a big difference between showing a clean pair of heels to Casamento and something like Rocket Man. I doubt connections will go down that route.

I stated before the race that there was an obvious shortage of genuine milers in the field. Frankel will find it much harder to dominate the likes of Goldikova and Canford Cliffs over eight furlongs. There comfort zone and cruising speed are far greater than anything in todays field and I dount he could burn them off in such fashion.

There’s no doubt that connections will feel somewhat pressured to go for The Derby. If he goes to York and wins with authority then it’s almost inevitable that he will go to Epsom, in my opinion. I still maintain that his best distance could prove to be ten furlongs and a potential clash with the likes of Workforce and Snow Fairy is mouthwatering stuff.

I found it intriguing that there was no mention of the Curragh, which would be a likely route if connections wish to stay at eight furlongs.

Will the race leave a mark? It’s not just a question of the race leaving a mark physically, but also mentally. He quite simply can not be expected to remain unbeaten throughout the season employing those tactics because it will catch up with him eventually. If he goes to Epsom, win or lose, and runs in a similar manner it could very well ruin him.

Henry Cecil is the right man to guide such an incredibly gifted individual and he will only do what is right for the colt.

Hi Raymo61,I can top you. I have never seen a classic won in this manner and I am Circa 78.How about that! What would he do if Zenyatta came knocking I wonder? Would he have the class to see her off in the last furlong? She was used to giving the boys a long lead and catching them.Between todays result and the BC Classic it has been a hell-of- a- journey.