02 May 2011

Cecil says freakish Frankel no Derby certainty



Frankel set the turf world on fire at the weekend winning the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket with a breathtaking front running performance. Check all the superlatives here but Sporting Life was typical in putting the run on a pedestal:
"Those present at Newmarket on Saturday witnessed a genuine piece of racing history as Frankel produced one of the great performances in winning the Qipco 2000 Guineas. Unbeaten and the subject of incredible hype, the Henry Cecil-trained colt lived up to all the pre-race talk as he made every yard on the way to a stunning six-length success, the best since Tudor Minstrel in 1947."
Meanwhile, the only doubt in trainer Henry Cecil's mind remains Frankel's ability to get the mile and a half of the Epsom Derby: "At this stage, as Frankel is not a certain runner, I wouldn't back him for the Derby," Cecil told the Scottish Daily Record. "I would think Ascot (and the mile of the G1 St James's Palace Stakes) would be more probable. He could take on the older horses over a mile in races like the Sussex Stakes and the QEII and we're going to put him in mile-and-a-quarter races later on, races like the Juddmonte. If I feel the Derby isn't the right race then we shouldn't go for it. You're going into completely unknown territory."

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