Sir Henry Cecil to miss Frankel run in Qipco Sussex Stakes at Goodwood
Trainer Sir Henry Cecil will not be able to see his star runner, Frankel, showing his magic in Wednesday’s Qipco Sussex Stakes at Goodwood, because he is currently going through cancer treatment.
It will be a big day for Frankel, who is all set to defend his title in the Group 1 event. The 4-year-old has ended up with only three rivals at Goodwood, where he will try to stretch his unbeaten run to 12 starts.
Frankel’s chances of adding another major win to his tally are quite bright, as he is currently in great shape. Owned by Khalid Abdulla, the bay colt has won two big races so far this season.
After sealing an emphatic victory in the Group 1 JLT Lockinge Stakes at Newbury, he proved too good for his opponents in the Group 1 Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot last month.
Alongside Frankel, Bullet Train will represent Sir Henry Cecil in the upcoming event. However, the handler is not in position to watch his pair live at Goodwood because of medical reasons.
"Unfortunately, I won't be at Goodwood on Wednesday as I have been undergoing some treatment. Although I am able to train my horses, I'm not quite fit to go racing yet, but I hope to be fully recovered in the near future," Cecil said on his website, www.sirhenrycecil.com.
He added: "Everything has gone as we could have wished with Frankel since the Queen Anne Stakes. We gave him an easy time immediately after Royal Ascot before bringing him back into fast work. He has pleased us with his work and is going to the Sussex Stakes in good shape."
Frankel won last year’s Qipco Sussex Stakes with ease, when beating Canford Cliffs by five lengths. The superstar is facing a very strong opposition this season. The main danger will be Saeed Bin Suroor’s 4-year-old colt, Farhh, who narrowly missed the gold medal in the Group 1 Coral-Eclipse at Sandown.
Trained by Richard Fahey, Gabrial is the fourth and final runner in the line-up. The 3-year-old has not yet tasted success at the graded level, and looks to be easiest rival to tackle for Frankel.
Tags: