In a statement that will send a shiver down the spine of his rivals in Tuesday’s St James’s Palace Stakes, Henry Cecil believes Frankel is finally beginning to grow up.
The unbeaten colt put up a performance in the 2000 Guineas that left racegoers opened-mouthed, but the legendary trainer only now feels that the son of Galileo is turning into a proper racehorse.
He has famously been highly-strung in his career to date and Tom Queally’s tactics at Newmarket took everybody by surprise as he blitzed the field from the outset.
Despite that method proving so successful, Cecil is planning to adopt different tactics next week.
“He’s stronger than he was at Newmarket and has done very well physically since the race,” Cecil told At The Races.
“He’s growing up and beginning to relax a lot more and we’re very happy with him. Hopefully I’ve got him as right as it is possible to get a horse for a race like this.
“I’ve got no intention of trying to do what I did at Newmarket. The Guineas was not ideal for any horse and we’re not planning to do what we did there.
“I’ve got a plan and hopefully it will work out, but it’s not always easy. The tactics will be different and will hopefully work.”
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