Frankel, Henry Cecil’s unbeaten colt, features among the initial entries for the STG150,000 ($A233,827) Dante Stakes at York on May 12.
The Galileo colt rounded off a superb juvenile campaign with victory in the Dewhurst Stakes and his first major objective for this year is the 2000 Guineas back at Newmarket.
Connections have indicated, however, that the three-year-old could also make up into a Derby prospect, hence the reason he has been given an entry in this recognised Epsom trial which Cecil has won on seven occasions.
“We have entered Frankel in the totesport Dante, it being the best Derby trial,” Teddy Grimthorpe, racing manager for owner Prince Khalid Abdullah, said.
“But how far he might stay has yet to be determined – Henry has said that the horse will tell us.
“First, Frankel will head to the 2000 Guineas. We will have to see what he does, how he does it and everything else at Newmarket and go on from there.”
Cecil’s Picture Editor was billed as a potential Derby prospect after winning his first two juvenile starts, but he then suffered an odds-on reverse at Newmarket.
Grimthorpe, though, is keen to excuse that run and remains hopeful the colt can develop into a realistic Classic contender.
“I think a Derby campaign is envisaged for Picture Editor and that would include a race like the Dante,” he continued.
“We’d be inclined to draw a line through the last race of his two-year-old campaign – that conditions race at Newmarket.
“We were very positive beforehand as he had worked really well. But he was never travelling in his race and I think he had just gone for the winter at that point.
“There was nothing found to be wrong with him afterwards.”
Among the other Cecil entries is Midsummer Sun, a half-brother to multiple Group One winner Midday, and much-vaunted unraced colt World Domination, out of Cecil’s 1997 Oaks winner Reams Of Verse.
Sir Michael Stoute has entered Carlton House, while Aidan O’Brien is responsible for 19 of the 70 entries.
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