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So this is it then. The final race for the horse of my lifetime. Not sure what I will do with myself after he is retired but we will worry about that on Sunday.
It has been awful today – looking out the window and checking the weather forecast every 5 minutes desperately willing the rain to stay away. Unfortunately my prayers went unanswered as, shortly before Sean read out my email on ATR, Chris Stickels told us that the rain had turned the going from soft to soft, heavy in places. Frankel’s participation is in doubt. They will walk the course tomorrow before deciding. It has stopped raining now and that should be it now til after the race but they face a huge decision. Do they risk it? Would we rather see him retire unbeaten after 13 wins having pulled out of tomorrow’s race or see him beaten by the mud?
Personally I hope they go for it. I would rather he try and lose than not try at all. This is his chance to silence the few remaining doubters and critics who questioned his courage, who questioned the bottle of his connections, who called him a sugar puff champion. God I hope they run him and he beats them all by half the track! Will he though? Will he handle those conditions? One thing we know is that his two main rivals will.
How do I see the race? Bullet Train leads and takes them along at an even pace. Buick is not satisfied and takes it up 6f out. CDA follows him through. TQ keeps Frankel towards rear. Buick winds it up from the front and asks Nathaniel to quicken turning in. CDA goes with him, Frankel cruises up behind them. 2 out Peslier asks CDA to win his race and he quickens past Nathaniel who keeps on. TQ waits til just outside the 1 pole and then asks the Wonder Horse for one last effort. His willing friend puts his head down and gallops away to win by 3 lengths with Nathaniel battling back to take second from CDA with a distance back to the others.
That’s how I visualize it and how I will dream of it tonight.
Elsewhere on the card I will have three bets.
I like
Aiken
in the first. He will love the ground and I think he has been crying out for this step up in trip.
Andre Fabre doesn’t send them over for fun and I like
Pomme D’Amour
at 8’s. Gosden’s filly is an obvious danger but don’t like backing horses here who have run at the Arc meeting.
Finally the soft ground is just as bad news for Excelebration as it might be for Frankel. At the prices and as much as I hate opposing him 5-1 about
Cityscape
, a proven mudlark, is too big to resist!
Fingers crossed guys. Be thinking of me!!!
"this perfect mix of poetry and destruction, this glory of rhythm, power and majesty: the undisputed champion of the world!!!"
So this is it then. The final race for the horse of my lifetime.
How do I see the race? Bullet Train leads and takes them along at an even pace. Buick is not satisfied and takes it up 6f out. CDA follows him through. TQ keeps Frankel towards rear. Buick winds it up from the front and asks Nathaniel to quicken turning in. CDA goes with him, Frankel cruises up behind them. 2 out Peslier asks CDA to win his race and he quickens past Nathaniel who keeps on. TQ waits til just outside the 1 pole and then asks the Wonder Horse for one last effort. His willing friend puts his head down and gallops away to win by 3 lengths with Nathaniel battling back to take second from CDA with a distance back to the others.
That’s how I visualize it and how I will dream of it tonight.
Fingers crossed guys. Be thinking of me!!!
You haven’t been wrong about your horse yet Joni! Your appraisal of the tactics reads well as usual BUT I can see ‘Frankel’ tying up and ‘Nathaniel’ coming back at him,we’ll see! As for him not running,well it would be a PR disaster and ‘normally’ there would be No chance of ‘Frankel’ turning up on that ground,ground that by 4pm will be like a Battlefield!! 60,000 racing fans expected
to cheer him home one last time including your family have to be considered in what is a nightmare decision for connections! Sweet Dreams by the way!
One last hurrah.
Joni your posts on Frankel have been a great read and your passion and ultra defence for the horse has shone brightly on TRF, good luck tomorrow.
Blackbeard to conquer the World
Thanks Nath, Pants and Gord! I am off to try and get an early night! Let’s hope tomorrow is a fitting end to a great story x
"this perfect mix of poetry and destruction, this glory of rhythm, power and majesty: the undisputed champion of the world!!!"
Thanks Nath, Pants and Gord! I am off to try and get an early night! Let’s hope tomorrow is a fitting end to a great story x
He’ll run Joni,thats the main thing!
Ascot has a tendency to dry out a lot better these days, and the going may not be so bad. Possibly a bit of heavy around Swinley Bottom, but then it`s slightly sloping from there, so should drain ok.
If the rain stays away this morning i would think it could even come up soft side of good in many parts.
An emotionally draining day and I am hoarse now. I have screamed him on 9 times before but never with such passion as today. My children were alongside me. 3 years old on Monday and they were there. They will always be able to say that.
This beautiful horse never lets you down and today was no different. Funnily enough the closer we got to race time, the calmer I got (especially after seeing Frankel’s whipping boy deimate his field in the QEII!)
As for the race. Well he missed the break but it made no difference. He looked like he travelled fine to me (haven’t seen the replay yet). As they turned in I was screaming at Tom "hold him, hold him" and he did. It was vital that he didn’t go too early in that ground and against two out and out stayers who love the mud. Tom timed it to perfection and Frankel was still going away at the end. The relied and elation as he passed the post topped everything that done before.
14 out of 14. The greatest. It is plainly obvious now of course.
Today he showed other qualities that his sheer brilliance have sometimes camoflagued. They could have withdrawn him on that ground but they were brave, their horse was brave. His toughness, his determination to please and run for his life.
Tomorrow I will wake up feeling empty but fulfilled. I need never ask for anything from my racing again. This was it. The ultimate thrill, the ultimate ride.
Thanks Frankel. Thanks Sir Henry. Two legends.
"this perfect mix of poetry and destruction, this glory of rhythm, power and majesty: the undisputed champion of the world!!!"
Personally I hope they go for it. I would rather he try and lose than not try at all. This is his chance to silence the few remaining doubters and critics who questioned his courage, who questioned the bottle of his connections, who called him a sugar puff champion. God I hope they run him and he beats them all by half the track! Will he though? Will he handle those conditions? One thing we know is that his two main rivals will.
How do I see the race? Bullet Train leads and takes them along at an even pace. Buick is not satisfied and takes it up 6f out. CDA follows him through. TQ keeps Frankel towards rear. Buick winds it up from the front and asks Nathaniel to quicken turning in. CDA goes with him, Frankel cruises up behind them. 2 out Peslier asks CDA to win his race and he quickens past Nathaniel who keeps on. TQ waits til just outside the 1 pole and then asks the Wonder Horse for one last effort. His willing friend puts his head down and gallops away to win by 3 lengths with Nathaniel battling back to take second from CDA with a distance back to the others.
That’s how I visualize it and how I will dream of it tonight.
Well I was a length out again but otherwise not far from how it panned out. He was a warrior today. Perhaps not at the peek of his ability in those conditions but the heart to go with the talent.
A once in a lifetime horse.
"this perfect mix of poetry and destruction, this glory of rhythm, power and majesty: the undisputed champion of the world!!!"
Brilliantly put Joni.
What a horse!
Can someone please ask KA to change his mind? Another season of The Freak would be magic.
Difficult to imagine any racehorse in the past or future being as good as Frankel.
Value Is EverythingThanks Ginge.
Am I alone in feeling a bit down today?
I was watching the replay just now as TQ was cantering in front of the stands soaking up the appreciation of the crowd and I looked at Frankel and just thought "what is he going to do now?"
Looking at him it is so obvious that this horse was born to race. He loves running. The thought of him munching hay and getting fat in the paddock made me feel sad. Seems a waste. I actually felt really sorry for the horse. Never again will he get to do what he plainly loves to do. Never again will he be able to show off that amazing speed. Never again will he be urged to put his head down and run for his life. Will he miss it do you think?
I know that this is the way of things on the flat but I have never felt it so acutely as with this horse. Of course he is going to have a great time with all those mares but 26 months seems such a short career for one so blessed with talent.
Perhaps it is the Sunday blues and I am prepared to get slated for saying it but I genuinely feel a loss today.
Life will go on. Racing will go on. But I wonder – is that as good as it will ever be? I fear for me it probably is.
Great memories to take to my grave though and better to have loved and lost than not loved at all.
"this perfect mix of poetry and destruction, this glory of rhythm, power and majesty: the undisputed champion of the world!!!"
Thanks Ginge.
Am I alone in feeling a bit down today?
I was watching the replay just now as TQ was cantering in front of the stands soaking up the appreciation of the crowd and I looked at Frankel and just thought "what is he going to do now?"
Looking at him it is so obvious that this horse was born to race. He loves running. The thought of him munching hay and getting fat in the paddock made me feel sad. Seems a waste. I actually felt really sorry for the horse. Never again will he get to do what he plainly loves to do. Never again will he be able to show off that amazing speed. Never again will he be urged to put his head down and run for his life. Will he miss it do you think?
I know that this is the way of things on the flat but I have never felt it so acutely as with this horse. Of course he is going to have a great time with all those mares but 26 months seems such a short career for one so blessed with talent.
Perhaps it is the Sunday blues and I am prepared to get slated for saying it but I genuinely feel a loss today.
Life will go on. Racing will go on. But I wonder – is that as good as it will ever be? I fear for me it probably is.
Great memories to take to my grave though and better to have loved and lost than not loved at all.
Joni,think about it Ffs! Would you not fancy burying yo dote into 3 different girls everyday,then get a full body massage,plenty of good food to build up the load you’ve just emptied and spoilt rotten every day for the rest of your life! You dont even have to wake up with a Stiffy as you’ll be encouraged by your own teaser (Ginge perhaps) and its the same routine all over again…Heaven mate.
So there is still a Frankel sized hole in my heart but at least we get to see his little brother tomorrow. I fancy
Noble Mission
at 4’s back down in a Group 3 and the race looks very winnable to me.
"this perfect mix of poetry and destruction, this glory of rhythm, power and majesty: the undisputed champion of the world!!!"
I think Noble Mission has had a busy season Joni and the form of the races he’s been in has the look of a bingo card where anything could have come in if you had run the race again. Hawaafez was a cosy winner last time and although Camborne reopposes on 3lb better terms I think he was well held and he is not straight forward. A filly in form at this time of year can be good to have on your side and she won on this day last year. Improving, I make her my nap today to see off those much maligned 3yos and the one dimensional Harris Tweed. Steeler for me in the Racing Post trophy instead of the 1st two in betting.
Both 7/2 singles and double bet. Good luck to all punters.Thanks for the good crack. Time for me to move on. Be lucky.
Agree with you Steve regarding Haafawez, there’s more to come from her in my opinion, hoping she drifts out to 4’s this morning.
I think Noble Mission has had a busy season Joni and the form of the races he’s been in has the look of a bingo card where anything could have come in if you had run the race again. Hawaafez was a cosy winner last time and although Camborne reopposes on 3lb better terms I think he was well held and he is not straight forward. A filly in form at this time of year can be good to have on your side and she won on this day last year. Improving, I make her my nap today to see off those much maligned 3yos and the one dimensional Harris Tweed. Steeler for me in the Racing Post trophy instead of the 1st two in betting.
Both 7/2 singles and double bet. Good luck to all punters.Only ran once since July Steve – hardly like he has been Bolgered! I think he was progressive up til the Voltigeur which was a farce of a race. Plus he has his hood back on having been far too free without it lto. The heavy ground would be more of a worry to me as it will really test that stamina and I have a feeling he JUST ABOUT gets 1m 4f. I’m counting on him having more class than these and TQ sitting quietly til the 1 pole a la big bro last week.
Steeler has to have a chance in the big one though my worry would be he has already had a couple of hard races. Can’t help feeling it is highly significant AOB has supplemented one when he had plenty of others to choose from. Also that Bolger horse looks tough as old boots (hahaha). All in all not a race I would be ultra confident about.
Good luck to you and Pants though!
"this perfect mix of poetry and destruction, this glory of rhythm, power and majesty: the undisputed champion of the world!!!"
Well as was my worry he just got outstayed. Was shouting at TQ to hold on to him longer. Ran a cracker though and hopefully will improve as a 4 year old.
I will keep the faith with
Sir John Hawkwood
and have backed him to win at 7-2.
"this perfect mix of poetry and destruction, this glory of rhythm, power and majesty: the undisputed champion of the world!!!"
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