Frankel Countdown

Press Association


Frankel took to the gallops for the first time this year on Tuesday morning for a gentle piece of work on the Al Bahathri at Newmarket.

Unbeaten in nine starts, Sir Henry Cecil's wonder horse dominated the 2011 Flat season with a string of phenomenal performances, including a breathtaking display in the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket.

Connections have suggested the son of Galileo will step up to a mile and a quarter at some stage this season, but the four-year-old will stick to a mile for his seasonal reappearance in the Lockinge Stakes at Newbury in May.

Teddy Grimthorpe, racing manager to owner Khalid Abdullah, was on hand to see Frankel return to work and is delighted with how the colt has wintered.

"It was only a very gentle piece of work, but he looks well and seems in good form," said Grimthorpe.

"It is always encouraging to see the horses back on the gallops, but really they were not doing enough to tell you a lot about where they are.

"I've obviously seen Frankel a few times over the winter and he looks to have done well and strengthened up a bit.

"We're still aiming towards the Lockinge at Newbury."

Can't wait....this horse is a FREAK!!!!!

racingpost.com


SIR HENRY CECIL, trainer of the highest rated horse in the world Frankel, thinks a clash with Australian sensation Black Caviar would be "fantastic" although reiterated that his unbeaten superstar would not race at distances below a mile this season.

Black Caviar is expected to take on the best sprinters in Europe in the 6f Diamond Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot later in the year and Cecil thinks the first opportunity the two may get to meet would be Goodwood's Sussex stakes in the summer, providing Black Caviar remains in Britain after Ascot.

Asked if he would look forward to the challenge, Cecil told Sydney's Sky Sports Radio: "Of course I would. I think it would be fantastic, but I must do the right thing for the horse. I'm certainly not bringing him back to seven furlongs. He's settling now and the idea is that he's going to go on to a mile-and-a-quarter."

Regarding a potential showdown over a mile, Cecil added: "If I wanted to at some stage keep him to a mile and she wants to up it to a mile and come over, it would be lovely. If the Sussex Stakes was the right race for Frankel, it would be lovely to see the two of them race."

Cecil has been impressed with what he's seen of the Peter Moody-trained mare, although unsurprisingly would not swap Frankel. He said: "She's got the most lovely temperament and way about her. She does everything very professionally and she is obviously very good. We're always loyal, he [Moody] wouldn't swap his mare and I certainly wouldn't swap my horse."

Cecil confirmed that Frankel is likely to start his campaign in the Lockinge Stakes in May and warned his rivals that he expects more improvement from the nine-time winner this term.

The trainer said: "He's done marvelous so far, but I think he could be a better horse this year."

Fantastic news

scotia Wrote:

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> Fantastic news


Looks like we wont get a race between them imo though

True Bob but the fact that Frankel could get better??

scotia Wrote:

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> True Bob but the fact that Frankel could get
> better??

The Aussies must be sh!tting themselves...: