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RODERIC O’CONNOR provided Aidan O’Brien with back-to-back wins in the Criterium International at Saint-Cloud on Sunday despite hanging violently to the right in the home straight
I think that those who have tried picking holes in Frankels form really now just have to hold their hands up and admit that they have simply misjudged the whole situation. At virtually every juncture the form seems to have been franked. Lets look forward to next season with anticipation
O’Connor is still very immature as witness his running in France today.He wandered all over the place in the mud. He was not subject to any pressure against Frankel.When he learns to race I have no doubt he will be able to beat him.You asked what did I think.They have both won one Group One.Visually Wootton Bassett winning his Group One in Paris impressed me most of all.
O’Connor is still very immature as witness his running in France today.He wandered all over the place in the mud. He was not subject to any pressure against Frankel.When he learns to race I have no doubt he will be able to beat him.You asked what did I think.They have both won one Group One.Visually Wootton Bassett winning his Group One in Paris impressed me most of all.
There is no way Roderic O’Connor nor Wootton Bassett will ever beat Frankel unless its over a trip that Frankel just doesn’t stay.
Frankel is a freak and I keep saying it but we haven’t even seen the best of him yet. When he gets quick ground and a strong early pace to run off he will look devastating. It might be in the 2000 Guineas that it all comes together.
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Andy
Weren’t people making much the same noises about Dream Ahead also – until he met Frankel?There is no way Roderic O’Connor nor Wootton Bassett will ever beat Frankel unless its over a trip that Frankel just doesn’t stay.
Frankel is a freak and I keep saying it but we haven’t even seen the best of him yet. When he gets quick ground and a strong early pace to run off he will look devastating. It might be in the 2000 Guineas that it all comes together.
Frankel is indeed a sensation but crowning his as unbeatable at such an early stage is a bit pretentious IMVHO. Wootton Bassett is in form much like Frankel and even hold one start over him. It’s possible for him to overpower Frankel as much as it’s possible for Frankel to experiences a decline in performance. As the saying goes, there is no such thing as a sure thing, or in the words of Benjamin Franklin: "In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except for death and taxes."
Firstly I would like to apologise to all you Jump fans out there. I love the jumps myself and do realise that now is hardly the time to be hogging any forums with talk of matters Flat but such is my anticipation for next year and in particular about THAT horse that I thought I would post some thoughts on what we have seen so far and what we might expect to see next season.
Some of you might think that writing all this now is a bit sad and that I need to get a life (and you may well be right) but, in 35 years of watching racing, I have never been this excited by one horse. So how good is Frankel? Could he really be Henry Cecil’s career defining horse? Will he train on? Will he run in the Derby? Well I have studied his 4 races so far, re-read all the reports and interviews, reminded myself of his breeding, digested what I myself made of him when I saw him in the flesh and have come up with the following. As I write it is a cold Sunday night, the wife is watching “I’m a Celebrity…” the kids are asleep and so for what it’s worth and for those who still care about the flat in the middle of winter, here are my thoughts on the story so far.
What’s In a Name?
As most people know the horse was named after Bobby Frankel who died in November last year and who was a hugely successful trainer in America for Prince Khaled and the Juddmonte operation amongst others. I believe there was always the intention to have one of their horses run in his name but clearly picking a good one was always going to be important. As Juddmonte are now arguably right up there with Coolmore as the foremost breeding operation in Europe, they had plenty to choose from. Teddy Grimthorpe commented “we liked him from an early stage” and the decision was made. You don’t give a horse a name like that if you don’t think the horse has plenty of talent obviously, so his debut was hotly anticipated. (Rather makes one’s mouth water at the prospect of seeing another as yet unraced 2 year old of Henry’s which they decided to call World Domination!)
13th August 2010 – Frankel wins his maiden at Newmarket beating Nathaniel by half a length.
Many of those who like to knock Frankel are of the opinion that he was an especially forward 2 year old. They say, with some justification perhaps, that physically he held a big advantage over his peers. Clearly, as already stated above, they liked him early on, however the first thing I would point out here is that August 13th is not especially early in a season to be starting if you are a particularly precocious sort. In fact virtually all of Frankel’s main market rivals in the betting for the 2,000 Guineas started their careers much earlier. Pathfork and Dream Ahead were first seen out in July, Roderic O’ Connor in June and Zoffany way back in April. After the race Henry Cecil commented “I haven’t really galloped him yet – he was just about ready to run.” And I think those words are worth bearing in mind when studying the race.
It was very soft that day and the rain was pelting down when they left the gate. Henry was obviously content to let the horse run despite the conditions and my feeling is that, at this stage at least, they had the horse marked down as a mile minimum 2 year old.
The way to watch this race now is to imagine that you are watching it for the first time without knowing what was to follow in his later races. They went a steady enough gallop in the conditions and Tom Queally settled Frankel in mid-division. I use the word “settled” because this is the first of the misconceptions about the horse that I would like to challenge. Many people have stated that this horse has problems settling and that this could prejudice his ability to stay a trip. Whilst I agree that not settling would certainly have a bearing on that, I honestly don’t believe it to be such a problem with this horse. If you look at the 4 races again, the only race where he really pulled very hard was the Dewhurst where he was bumped and “set alight” coming out of the stalls. In that first Newmarket maiden he actually settled ok – not perfectly – but he certainly wasn’t pulling Tom’s arms out.They quickened things up from about the 4 pole and the next furlong or so was pretty much the only time I have seen this horse in trouble and looking like he might not win. Maybe it was a bit of greenness, maybe it was the ground or maybe he was just a bit tapped for toe but for that furlong Tom was scrubbing him along to try and join the leaders. He found a gap about 2 and a half out and this was the first time I got that goosebump feeling that he has reproduced in each of his subsequent runs and which I believe is the reason people are so excited by him. All of a sudden he came back on the bridle. He came back on the bridle at the precise time that every other horse was at full speed and being ridden for all they were worth. There is nothing like seeing that in a race is there?! Entering the final furlong he drew clear with Nathaniel but William Buick was very busy in the saddle whereas Tom was still motionless. To his credit (and I do have a small antepost Derby voucher on him) Nathaniel did not go down without a fight and Queally had to push Frankel out to win cosily by half a length taking an eternity to pull up.
I recently read Nick Mordin’s blog where he said that Frankel “scrambled home” in his maiden. I don’t know what Nick’s definition of “scrambled” is but I wouldn’t want to eat one of his eggs. Simply put – he didn’t. He won very nicely without being given anything like a hard race. But the interesting thing for me is that he really looked every inch a stayer in the making. The fact that he was starting in a mile maiden on soft ground, that he seemed to get outpaced for a few strides when they quickened, that he took an age to pull up, he looked a horse in need of a trip. Virtually all the “experts” after the race were talking, writing, blogging in exactly that vein and Henry spoke about the Royal Lodge as an intended target. Personally I was not interested in his Guineas quote as he looked anything but a Guineas horse to me in this race. Still it was a very promising start and I was very much looking forward to seeing his next race.
10 September 2010 – Frankel wins a conditions race at Doncaster beating Rainbow Springs by 13 lengths.
I will probably get slated for saying this but I actually think that this was his most impressive performance of the season.
Knowing the racing calendar quite well I was scratching my head to think where Frankel’s second run might be. In between his maiden win and the Royal Lodge there was only one 1 mile conditions race and that was programmed for just one week before the Royal Lodge. Still I was extremely surprised when I read that his next intended start was to be at Doncaster over 7 furlongs. Why are they dropping this horse back in trip was my immediate thought. Well obviously they had started to see something unexpected at home. They were starting to see that this horse had speed.I watched the race in a betting shop in Leicester Square but didn’t have a bet. To be honest I was a little worried about the Godolphin horse who had won really well at Newmarket also and who clearly DID have plenty of speed. Of course it was a real shame that this horse got worked up in the stalls and he has not run since so we don’t know what would have happened but I believe there would have been fewer sceptics originally if this horse HAD run. In hindsight it was probably a good thing because it kept Frankel’s antepost prices down enabling me to still get on at double figures!
So the race has been described by some as a “non event” as it was whittled down to just the three runners, an unraced maiden of John Gosdens, an exposed, though 90 rated, horse of Barry Hills and Frankel. Despite what some have said about this race it was actually run at a decent clip. Michael Hills dictated things from the front and Frankel again settled pretty well just in behind. He travelled sweetly until just past the 2 pole when Tom asked him to win his race. He quickened clear from a furlong and a half home and managed to put those 13 lengths between him and the second in just that short distance. The time was phenomenal but the reason I think that this was his best performance is because of the way he covered the ground. It was effortless, beautiful to watch, like watching a supreme athlete, a Usain Bolt or Michael Johnson; graceful, yet frighteningly fast. This is a horse that absolutely loves running fast. For me it is no coincidence that this was the best ground Frankel has raced on so far. I believe that, rather than those who think he is only going to be effective on rain-softened ground, this performance shows that we may well not have seen anything like the best of him as yet.
In giving him a rating of 115 for this race the Racing Post had to assume that Diamond Geezah, the third, had run well below that 90 mark and gave him a rating of 71. They also gave the same weight adjusted mark to Rainbow Springs on debut. At the time I thought that would probably prove to be wrong and nothing that has happened since has been able to dissuade me. The story goes that when Michael Hills returned to the unsaddling enclosure he was met by some rather aghast faces from the owners who had just seen their highly respectable 90 rated colt beaten 17 lengths. Michael said to them “don’t worry – apparently this is the best horse Henry Cecil has ever trained.” Three weeks after this race Rainbow Springs finished third in the Group 1 Prix Marcel Boussac earning an RPR of 105. John Gosden clearly hadn’t sent his horse to Doncaster for the beer! Clearly those original ratings were wrong. I believe it is perfectly reasonable and conservative even to assume that the second and third ran to at least 85 which would have had Frankel on 129! You can’t give a conditions winner that rating though can you!!? One of the most annoying things I read before the Dewhurst was critics saying “he has only beaten trees!” For me it was never WHAT he was beating but HOW he was beating them AND history has proved that they weren’t trees anyway!
So this race was the one that had me withdrawing all my savings and lumping on for next year and was the first time that I started to think we had something quite seriously good here.September 25th 2010 – Frankel wins the Royal Lodge beating Klammer by 10 lengths.
This was the race that produced THAT moment. Comparisons have since been drawn with Arazi and it was certainly as spectacular a mid-race move as you are likely to see.
Again the race had been whittled down to just the five runners and it was already clear from this that word was now well and truly out and most trainers wanted to avoid Frankel. Jane Chapple Hyam is a great sport however and was happy to pit her recent French listed race winner, Klammer, against the best and of course a certain Mr O’Brien I’m sure wanted to get an idea of where he stood against Frankel sending Treasure Beach and Eskimo. The field was completed by 101 rated Slim Shadey.
The race was run at an absolute crawl but again Frankel settled remarkably well in behind the rest of the runners. As they approached the end to the back straight Tom Queally, recognising that it could get tactical, decided to get a bit closer, “I only wanted to make a couple of lengths” were his words afterwards. Well we all know what happened next. Given that bit of rein Frankel said “thanks very much” and took off around the field. If I were to put it unkindly to Tom, he bolted! By the time he turned in he was clear of his field and he maintained that gallop all the way to the line to win hands and heels by 10 lengths. It was a quite phenomenal performance that took the breath away.But how good was the form? Some time experts have pointed out that he ran the last three furlongs quicker even than the winner of the QEII later in the day but I am not sure that we can really trust those figures. If an athlete was to run two 800 metre races a few days apart and the first was run at a sprint all the way and the second was run at a jog for the first 600 metres you could probably bet your life savings that the jogged race would result in a far quicker time for the last 200 metres. Again, because of that slow early pace, it didn’t really help us gauge how far he might one day stay. What of the opposition? Well Slim Shady, who finished last, had up to that point been quite progressive having been beaten just over 2 lengths by Wooten Basset the time before. Klammer, as I have mentioned, was a recent Listed winner and had won twice previously and also been beaten 5 lengths in the Coventry by Strong Suit. Of the two O’Brien horses Treasure Beach was the number one and he had won twice previously and had recently been an unlucky loser in a nursery. Not the strongest of form here admittedly but interviews before the race with John Magnier suggested that they thought the horse capable of much better than he had shown. Interestingly he was subsequently entered in all the Group 1 races up until the last forfeit stage but unfortunately didn’t race again that season. Clearly he was not the best horse in the O’Brien yard but I don’t think he was a mug either. When asked for a comment after the race and on Frankel’s victory O’Brien uttered one word, “unbelievable” – this from the man who had trained last years’ similarly spectacular Racing Post winner. As you all probably know, the only horse to run again that season was Klammer but he franked the form very nicely winning the Group 3 Horris Hill from, amongst others, Elzaam, who had been beaten only a nose by Strong Suit in the Coventry. Probably fair to assume that Klammer appreciated the step up in trip to a mile.
So we know that Frankel beat a subsequent Group 3 winner by 10 lengths but, again, it was not so much who he beat here but the manner of the victory. It had class stamped all over it and had the bookies slashing those classic odds down to 2-1 and 4-1 for the Guineas and Derby.
Interviewed after the race Henry compared his horse to Wollow, rated by him as the best 2 year old he has ever trained. He spoke about choosing between the Racing Post, his original target, and the Dewhurst as his next race. In an earlier interview and in a rare lapse from the great man, Henry had mistakenly thought that Frankel would need to be supplemented for the Dewhurst which I think again lends weight to the argument that they never expected this horse to be so quick. He expressed his preference as being the Dewhurst and the racing world eagerly anticipated a clash with Saamid and Dream Ahead, both of whom had been deeply impressive in winning their previous races.October 16th 2010 – Frankel wins the Dewhurst beating Roderic O’ Connor by 2 and a quarter lengths.
This was perhaps his least visually impressive victory but a win that sealed his status as the best 2 year old in Europe and gained despite pretty much everything going against him in the race.
The hype before the race was like nothing I have experienced before a Dewhurst and I went along to that final Champions Day at Newmarket actually feeling really nervous. Again, I had no money on the race but so wanted Frankel to prove his class once and for all. He didn’t disappoint.This time there was no doubting the quality of the line up. Saamid and Dream Ahead were both there and many thought that they would provide the stiffest challenge yet to Frankel. In addition there was Waiter’s Dream, impressive 4 length winner of the Acomb (a race I was at) but who had since disappointed behind Saamid in the Champagne Stakes. Brian Meehan had commented that he was not right that day and it was interesting that he wasn’t afraid to take Saamid on again. Glor na Mara brought some very reliable Irish form over. Although still a maiden, he had been beaten only half a length by Zoffany in the Group One Phoenix Stakes and then finished second again behind Pathfork in the Futurity beaten a length and a half. He had since disappointed on very soft ground behind Pathfork once again but Jim Bolger told us before this race to ignore that run as he had not handled the conditions. We all know that Saamid was called “Pegasus” at home by Frankie and that Dream Ahead had destroyed the Middle Park field on soft ground in winning the second of his Group 1’s. The field was completed by Roderic O’ Connor, only a maiden winner but very highly regarded at home. In fact it was a rather ominous sign that Aiden only sent that one runner over for the race! A small field again and many of the other trainers openly said that they would rather wait for the Racing Post a week later than take on such a stellar field in a race being dubbed the 2 year old “race of the century.”
Driving to the track I was horrified to see that so much rain had fallen overnight and that morning. This would have to suit Dream Ahead I thought. The ground was probably the worst kind that you can get at Newmarket. Because the rain had only arrived shortly before racing, it hadn’t had a chance to get into the ground and so was very loose on top. I looked at the horses in the pre-parade ring and again was surprised at another misconception. Frankel isn’t actually that big! In fact he was dwarfed by Dream Ahead who is huge. Ok he is not small but he honestly didn’t look physically superior to anything in the paddock with the exception of Roderic O’ Connor who is tiny. In fact some people standing behind me who SEEMED to know their stuff were blown away by how well Dream Ahead looked and, in contrast to Mr Francombe, had him as the clear paddock pick.
I was really worried sitting in the stands. Was he really as good as we all hoped he was? How would he cope with this step up in grade against these class animals on this tacky ground? Just over a minute and 25 seconds later we had our answer.If Frankel had lost the race much that would now follow would sound like an excuse. But he didn’t lose and therefore needs no excuses however it might just go to explain why this performance was perhaps not quite so visually stunning as the others. For arguments sake let’s ignore the ground; after all they all had to run on it. It probably didn’t suit Frankel very much but it probably didn’t suit some of the others, Saamid especially. Even Dream Ahead seemed to struggle on it as it wasn’t really soft but loose as stated above. Let’s concentrate on the race itself. As they broke, Dream Ahead veered violently to his right bumping Saamid who, in turn, gave Frankel a knock. This, according to connections after the race, lit the horse up and undid all Tom Queally’s hard work in getting the horse to settle on the way down. This time round Tom chose to travel in behind but on the outside of the field and so the horse was not as well covered up as in previous races and pulled fiercely for the first two furlongs. As the pace Johnny M was setting up front on ROC was a generous one, Frankel came onto the bridle at the 5 pole and travelled sweetly up to the 3. It was here that Frankel produced that familiar ‘hair on the back of the neck’ moment as he moved effortlessly up to the leader by the 2 furlong marker despite the fact that all the leaders were now quickening. In fact this was the only race all day where the winner came from off the pace. As Frankel made his move, William Buick tried to follow on Dream Ahead but Saamid was already struggling in the ground. Frankel hit the front passing the bushes and was pushed out again hands and heels up the hill to win without Queally needing his stick. He drifted into the middle of the track during that final furlong and again it was noticeable that all subsequent winners that day (other than in the long distance races) ran up the stands side rail that ROC had raced on. I think it is only fair to say that ROC stayed on right up to the line under hands and heels and was arguably reducing the gap in the last 50 yards albeit the race was well and truly over. Dream Ahead had not been able to go through with his effort and had dropped tamely away and it was left to the other two outsiders to fight for third with Glor na Mara coming out a head in front of Waiters Dream.
A great win but some would say that, at first sight, the gloss was taken off it by the fact that his two main market rivals ran below par. Well it’s difficult to argue with that. Saamid ran no sort of race and Dream Ahead was clearly a bit flat. Some have suggested that he was unable to cope with that mid-race move of Frankel’s and was simply not good enough. I personally think the race came a bit soon after the Middle Park and that this was not his strict running. However I am sceptical about this horse being as effective over a mile as he is over 6 furlongs. Even allowing for all this though, it was still an excellent performance from the winner. The third and fourth had very consistent form and were highly regarded by talented trainers. The second of course later franked the form by winning the Group 1 Criterium International proving that his trainers’ high opinion about the horse was fully justified. Can one argue that ROC, who had been off the track quite a while before the Dewhurst and may have needed the run, might improve past Frankel next year? I am sure there is a case for that but I would doubt it strongly. This race had been his target all year and I think he was pretty fit and ready. He also had very much the run of the race from the front and on the better ground with the stands’ rail to race against and I think this would counter any argument about a possible fitness edge.So season complete with a perfect four from four record and all achieved without a single thwack from Tom Queally’s whip. Those are the facts so far and it amazes me that some people are still prepared to argue that Frankel is more hype than substance. My personal view is that there are two camps here – one who spotted that early potential (not rocket science surely) and perhaps got on for next year at big prices and another ever decreasing one that decided that he was just another hype horse and so are stubbornly sticking to their views despite the ever increasing evidence to the contrary. We are all entitled to have opinions about what may happen next year but surely there is no doubting how impressive he was this.
So what about next year? Will he train on and will he run in the Derby?
Of course no one can know for sure whether Frankel will train on or not. Not even Henry Cecil himself can know. We can however look at all the evidence and give an informed opinion. The first point I would make is that he is surely no more or no less likely to train on than many of his main market rivals for next year’s 2,000 Guineas. As I have already mentioned they all started their careers before or at about the same time as Frankel and most of them were running in group company long before the Royal Lodge. Frankel is not by any means freakishly big but he is muscular and well developed, “a big brute” was how Kieron Fallon described him recently. It is of course conceivable that he is physically ahead of his peers. There have been plenty of examples over the years of horses that held that physical edge at two not then being to re-establish their superiority when the others caught them up at three. Apart from the frequently mentioned Xaar and Celtic Swing, Rainbow View and St Nicholas Abbey are much more recent examples of champion 2 year olds that did not make the same impact at three. There is the chance that Frankel could fall into this category but there is also the chance that he might not. There are, after all, many recent examples of very good two year olds who got even better at three – Canford Cliffs, Dick Turpin, New Approach and Ravens Pass being just a few off the top of my head. If you look at the winners of the 2,000 Guineas since the turn of the century, only Makfi and Golan had RPR’ s under 113 and they were both unbeaten. Just because a horse is good at two doesn’t automatically mean he won’t be at three. Besides, in my opinion, it is not so much his physical advantage so much as that incredible action of his that sets him apart from the others. He just moves beautifully and loves running fast. Tom Queally hasn’t used that whip simply because he hasn’t needed to and I would be doubtful that the horse would find that much more if he was asked a serious question because he just seems to give everything anyway!The other clue to answering the question is obviously by looking at his family. We all know that Galileo made up into a better three year old; in fact he only ran once as a two year old winning his maiden by 14 lengths. Aiden O Brien said at the time that it was only a persistent cough during his juvenile campaign that prevented him from competing in the top two year old races that season. Frankel’s dam, Kind, was still a maiden at two and did all her winning at three and four and Frankel’s only sibling, Bullet Train, was a once raced maiden winner at two before winning the Lingfield Derby at three. It is fair to say that he did not go on from that however and has been disappointing since that race. So all in all every reason to believe that, on breeding at least, he should train on at least until June!
As I said, we won’t really know until he runs in either the Greenham or the Craven in April but I repeat that I can’t see any reason why he should or shouldn’t train on more than his peers.
So that final question – will Frankel stay the Derby trip? Will he even be allowed to take his chance? Before answering this I want to make the assumption that he trains on – if he doesn’t then this conversation will probably be redundant anyway.
Taking that as read, the first place to go in trying to answer the question is to the stable door itself and to his trainer, “I would have serious doubts about his staying the mile and a half” were Henry’s words after that Royal Lodge. That should probably be evidence enough but what about the breeding? We know that his sire was a Derby winner out of Saddlers Wells and Urban Sea so no problems on the male side. His dam was a sprinter though, most effective at 6 furlongs although a winner over 7. Her sire was Danehill who mostly bred milers but his dam was Rainbow Lake, the winner of the Lancashire Oaks and who herself produced Powerscourt whose wins included the Great Voltigeur. Plenty of stamina on that side as well it would seem. Bullet Train won that Oaks trial over 1 mile 3 furlongs and was surely beaten too far out for stamina to be the reason for his poor run in the Derby although Henry still thinks his best distance should be 1 mile and 2 furlongs.
Again many have suggested that his style of running would not lend itself to those longer trips and they would have a point. Certainly if he ran as freely as he did in the Dewhurst he would not get the Derby trip. “He has a lot of class though” Henry said after raising his stamina doubts and recent Derby winners like Sir Percy, New Approach and even Sea The Stars were probably most effective over shorter and earned their Epsom success through class rather than stamina. My belief is that, if he settled well, he could get the Derby trip and win a steadily run race. I would worry though that Aiden O’ Brien would ensure a proper test for a Recital or a Seville and stretch Frankel to the very limit. What IS interesting though is that if he had got injured after his maiden and only run that one race we would probably not even be questioning his stamina. It’s what he did after that has us all thinking.More worrying than that though would be the question of whether Henry would even aim him at the race. He has been around an awfully long time and knows that the Derby can destroy a horse. Look what it did to Workforce this year. He tried to win the Derby with Wollow all those years ago but the horse didn’t stay. He remembers that well. Will he risk getting his horse beat and potentially ruined trying to win a race he doesn’t really believe he can win? Of course he would dearly love to. Henry knows more than anyone that the most remembered horses are Derby and Arc winners. With the exception of the incomparable Brigadier Gerard, most legendary flat horses won the Blue Riband and or the Arc. Personally I think a lot depends on what happens over the winter and in the 2,000. If he winters well, wins his trial and the Guineas comfortably then the temptation will be surely too much. Let’s hope this turns out to be the case. It could just be that we have an exceptional, once in a lifetime horse on our hands. Or we might not!
Whatever happens next year he has been a pleasure to watch this and has certainly fuelled this writer’s excitement as you might have guessed by now. With Racing For Change striving to bring the sport to the general public I would suggest that they get on the phone to HRAC and get some camera’s down to Warren Place. The world outside of racing rather missed the Sea The Stars boat as it kind of crept up on us. We won’t have the same excuse with Frankel. A champion horse with a legendary trainers name running for another legendary trainer who happens to be the best loved man in the sport, who fought back from the doldrums to the top of his profession again and who is still bravely fighting another battle against cancer! Sounds very Hollywood no?!
"this perfect mix of poetry and destruction, this glory of rhythm, power and majesty: the undisputed champion of the world!!!"
It’s clear you like the horse but could you go into a bit more detail as to the reasons why?
Excellent post Jonibake,i am one of Frankels detractors but to be fair i have been saying he wont be the superstar so many think he will be because he has No chance of staying the Derby trip and to be compared with the greats he has to be a Guineas,Derby,King George,Arc horse.Of course he could be a Champion Miler but that is not what his army of fans want or have been preaching,well not since Henry himself expressed doubts about his stamina,anyway if you have been watching horses for 35yrs,you can rest assured you have seen better horses than Frankel,
Dancing Brave
,
Pebbles
,
El Gran Senor
,
Peintre Celebre
,
Nashwan
to name but a few! All superstars who did stay 11/2m! For the record i honestly think you have seen the best of him already!
Well Jonibake…it is a well written post and there isn’t much to disagree with but this oldie has seen so many good horses fail to train on from 2 to 3 that we will just have to wait and see. We don’t know what potential champions weshall see from next April to June next year. I agree wholeheartedly that it would be wonderful to see Henry Cecil see out his training career with prolonged success in the Classics althiugh I suspect the old dog may be around for a good few years yet….a proper gentleman.Let’s not forget that he has already turned the clock back in the last few seasons.
I’m suspecting that Frankel may be the 2000 winner but something tells me that the Derby may be a furlong too far.- Total Posts 17716
Wouldn’t write off any Galileo to get a mile and a half especially when they canter a mile on the bridle in Group 1’s and 2’s at 2.
As a founder of Frankel’s ability me and a few of the lads got on large prices for Guineas and Derby although at the moment he’s no value, I’d rather be looking at Wootton Bassett
First, this is not an excellent post, it’s a cut and paste job with a few ‘extra’ lines put in.
Secondly, Frankel looks a great prospect, but so did Celtic Swing – and that’s the last time I got excited by a two-year-old colt.
Hi Jonibake. I can so easily identify with your enthusiasm.I had the same feelings about St.Nicholas Abbey after he cantered up in the Racing Post event.
Like you I dreamed of a son of Montjeu having such speed that he must be a superhorse.I only came down after the Guineas when he crashed and burned before my very eyes.However between him and Dunguib the time flew until spring.So whatever the outcome for Frankel have a wonderful winter.Oneeye – thats a bit harsh mate! It took me ages to write that and had a massive row with the wife because of it! Cut and paste???!!! I’m wounded!!!! I have read a lot I grant you but did hope that I gave a few opinions of my own. Antepost King – thanks. I am not saying that he is the BEST yet but for me the most EXCITING at this stage.
"this perfect mix of poetry and destruction, this glory of rhythm, power and majesty: the undisputed champion of the world!!!"
Well Jonibake are you sure you have not missed anything i like Frankel lets hope he sticks it up his knockers if you pardon the expression.
First, this is not an excellent post, it’s a cut and paste job with a few ‘extra’ lines put in.
Secondly, Frankel looks a great prospect, but so did Celtic Swing – and that’s the last time I got excited by a two-year-old colt.
Oneeye is definitely not in a charitable mood…bad day at the office ? As a fan of people who try to present a
reasonable case on any subject with a degree of competent English language I say well done to Jonibake !
I have some empathy with your escape to the study ‘cos my missus was also watching the same trashy programme too. What with Jungle,Ballroom,X factor,got talent,Emmerdale,Corrie,Eastenders,and the rest of the tripe,I’m spending more and more time on the PC and on this website.And I tell you all that Jonibake put his all into that post and I enjoyed it immensely even though I did not agree with all of it.Poor world when we jump on people’s feelings when they make an effort to venture opinions we all can share ! They don’t need to be correct opinions….just honest that’s all.Sod ride of the week, I nominate Jonibake as ‘post of the week’ !
Carry on mate !
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