Frankel rules in Dewhurst Stakes
Did it settle all the arguments? Certainly, for the present at least.
The Group One Dubai Dewhurst Stakes was billed as many things, although “the greatest two-year-old race ever?” - as it was described on the front page of the Racing Post - may have owed more to hype than historical perspective. But at least it defined the champion juvenile colt in Europe for this year.
The formbook said it was Dream Ahead, the winner of both the Prix Morny and Middle Park Stakes, while the eye said it was Frankel, who had captured the imagination when he routed his field in the Group Two Royal Lodge Stakes that was rated as the best performance in that race for at least 20 years. And the £20,000 that Godolphin put on the table to give Saamidd a late entry for the race, after he won the Group Two Champagne Stakes at Doncaster last month, suggested that they rather fancied their chances.
Something had to give and, with two furlongs to run, Roderic O’Connor was still leading when Frankel made his move. Having been pulling hard early on, when he was bumped exiting the stalls, Henry Cecil’s colt then pulled himself clear of his field –with Tom Queally relegated to role of enthusiastic passenger - to beat Roderic O’Connor by two-and-a-quarter lengths, with Glor Na Mara in third.
Dream Ahead, who again seemed not to be able to keep on an even keel, was fifth and Saamidd was never really in contention as he finished last of the six runners. Such was the level of expectation from this race that, with both Dream Ahead and Saamidd not running to expectations, there is an element of wondering just what Frankel achieved.
However it was hard not to be impressed with the way that he picked up down the outside of the field at halfway, which bore the hallmark of his mid-race move in the Royal Lodge. He was never in full extension in the final quarter-mile and yet the time was 0.31sec quicker than the older horses in the Group Two Challenge Stakes. Dream Ahead and Saamidd should not be dismissed for next season but Frankel can now be crowned juvenile champion.
“He got a bump coming out of the stalls and that set him alight,” Cecil said. “He was relaxed down at the start but he won well and Tom never had to pick him up, or hit him.
“He’s been very relaxed at home but they weren’t quite going fast enough for him. Tom said he hung slightly on the ground but if they’d gone faster, and he hadn’t got the bump, he might have been more impressive.”
Ever since Frankel won his maiden, on the July Course two months ago, there had been a momentum developing behind the colt, in part due the desire within the sport to see Cecil back with a horse who could propel him back to the land of the giants that he used to inhabit as if by right. Perhaps it was as much with relief as any other emotion that Frankel was greeted on his return to the winner’s enclosure and Cecil was clearly enjoying the moment.
“It’s lovely to have a horse like this,” he said. “At home he works unbelievably well – I’ve never a two-year-old work like him – the last horse I remember seeing was Arazi. He’s in second gear and he doesn’t run away but he goes into a sixth gear. I think if he was a Formula One car he’d win everything – as long as I didn’t drive him.
“This horse has a lot of potential and hopefully he should make a lovely three-year-old. I’m not going to do the usual thing from a trainer or jockey and say it’s the best horse I’ve ever ridden. That’s all right at three years old when you’re going to stud. We’ve got a long way to go.”
For David Simcock and Saeed bin Suroor the way will be via the drawing board. “Dream Ahead did not pick up when asked and ran like a horse who had one race too many for the season,” Simcock said. “He also only raced two weeks ago.”
Saamidd also clearly failed to run his race and Frankie Dettori said: "Saamidd hated the soft ground."
The ground was clearly no problem for Cape Dollar, trained by Sir Michael Stoute and ridden by Ryan Moore, who came out on top three-way finish to the Group Two Rockfel Stakes and the trainer and trainer and jockey completed a double when Crystal Capella won the Group Two Pride Stakes for the second time.
http://www.senore.com/Twice-Over-is-just-Champion-for-Henry-Cecil-a34421
http://www.senore.com/Louis-Philippe-Beuzelin-profits-on-Aaim-To-Prosper-in-Cesarewitch-a34423
http://www.senore.com/Joshua-Tree-heads-European-run-in-Canadian-International-a34443
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