Sir Henry Cecil’s unbeaten colt Frankel features among the entries for both the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes and the Champion Stakes at Ascot on October 15.
The phenomenal 2000 Guineas winner was perhaps not quite so explosive when following up in the St James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot, but he silenced any doubters by annihilating Canford Cliffs in last week’s Sussex Stakes at Goodwood.
The three-year-old is among 31 entries for the one-mile (1600m) QEII, with Canford Cliffs once again a possible rival.
Other interesting contenders include brilliant French mare Goldikova and the Aidan O’Brien-trained pair Await The Dawn and So You Think.
Frankel’s name also appears among the 40 that have been given an entry in the Champion Stakes, but Teddy Grimthorpe, racing manager to owner Khalid Abdullah, insists the QEII remains top of his agenda.
“He’s fine. We’ve left him in the Champion Stakes and we always said we would do that, but in principal, he will go for the mile race,” said Grimthorpe.
Await The Dawn and So You Think are also among the contenders for this 10-furlong (2000m) Group One and would surely be more likely runners in this race over the longer distance.
Although Frankel is an unlikely runner, Abdullah could still be represented with dual winner Twice Over and multiple Group One-winning mare Midday also in the mix.
Other major names include Derby hero Pour Moi, the Queen’s Derby third Carlton House and King George winner Nathaniel.
PA AAP TURF
