Dubawi Gold’s connections adamant at avoiding Frankel and Excelebration after the Lockinge Stakes
The third position for the four-year-old Dubawi Gold in the Group 1 JLT Lockinge Stakes (British Champions Series) on 19th May was the limit for the connections to see their bay colt fail at six different occasions either behind Frankel or Excelebration.
Tim Jones, Andrew Tinkler’s racing manager, said: "He came out of the Lockinge in great form and we're just going to weigh up the options for him.
"The good thing was he ran right up to his best again, which was good to see after he disappointed on that heavy ground at Sandown the time before.
"We have got all sorts of options for him. He's entered in the Queen Anne and the Diamond Jubilee at Royal Ascot, the July Cup and we have also been talking about the Maurice de Gheest over seven furlongs”.
Dubawi’s four-year-old bay colt out of mare, Savannah Belle, lost against Frankel in the Group 1 Qipco 2000 Guineas (203rd Running) (Entire Colts & Fillies) on 30th April, 2011 at Newmarket over a mile. Frankel led Dubawi Gold by six
lengths as Native Khan settled in third behind the winner.
During the same season, on 14th June, he again finished sixth against the 30/100 favourite Frankel in the Group 1 St James’s Palace Stakes (British Champions’ Series) on 14th June at Ascot over a mile.
Excelebration took up the third spot for this race.
The very next race after that was the Group 2 CGA Hungerford Stakes on 13th August at Newbury over seven furlongs. The race was won by the 5/4 favourite, Excelebration as Dubawi Gold settled fourth.
It was fifth time in a row that Dubawi Gold missed a race at the hands of one of his dual rivals, Frankel. On 15th October, the 4/11 favourite, Frankel won the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Stakes Sponsored By Qipco (British Champions Mile) at Ascot
over a mile.
After the sixth time on 19th May, the trainer, Richard Hannon and the owner, Andrew Tinkler, have finally thought better of it and have planned on keeping their four-year-old away from the races in which either of the rival is participating.
So filtering out the options they have decided to enter Dubawi Gold in the Queen Anne and the Diamond Jubilee at the Royal Ascot and besides that they have even considered the July Cup and the Maurice de Gheest that is raced over seven furlongs.
The distance range of the races is from a mile to six furlongs and the connections have set their priority at avoiding the both Frankel and Excelebration. However, their focus will still remain on the Group 1 options.
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