Officials at England’s Goodwood racecourse have dangled a STG1 million ($A1.56 million) carrot to bring the world’s two highest-rated horses, Frankel and Black Caviar, together in the Sussex Stakes.
Won last year by Frankel, the Sussex Stakes carries STG300,000 in prizemoney but the influential Sheikh Fahad, who sponsors the race, has promised to inject another STG700,000 to lure the unbeaten superstars, the Racing Post reported.
It said the prospect of the pair clashing in the 1600m feature was likely to be determined by the horses’ programs with Frankel set to be campaigned up to 2000m while Black Caviar has never raced beyond 1400m.
Moody has previously stated his openness to races for the mare after she runs in the Diamond Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot.
The newspaper said Frankel’s trainer Sir Henry Cecil has also said that the Sussex Stakes would be the most probable race for the pair to meet in and Sheikh Fahad believes the two can be tempted into competing.
“In their respective home countries, Frankel and Black Caviar have ignited levels of public interest matched only by true champions of the past,” the sheikh, who owns 2011 Melbourne Cup winner Dunaden, said.
“The sport is blessed to have two such outstanding horses competing at the same time and consequently we felt it would be remiss not to make every effort to try to bring about the race everyone wants to see.
“The Sussex Stakes is arguably the only realistic chance of the two horses meeting, and we are delighted to make the gesture of increasing the prize fund to STG1 million as an incentive to the connections of both horses to run at Goodwood.”
