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Royal Ascot: Frankel primed for glory for Sir Henry Cecil

14th June 2011

Brilliant 2,000 Guineas winner Frankel will head a field of nine runners in the St James's Palace Stakes on the opening day of Royal Ascot on Tuesday.

The unbeaten colt, trained by newly-knighted Sir Henry Cecil, is the leading equine attraction as the racecourse celebrates its 300th year.

Jockey Tom Queally told BBC Sport: "You never know what will happen in racing, but I'm quietly hopeful there won't be any change in his form."

The race is one of three Group One contests starting the meeting, with top milers Goldikova and Canford Cliffs clashing in the opening Queen Anne Stakes.

Frankel is set to go off odds-on favourite against rivals including the Richard Fahey-trained Wootton Bassett and Dream Ahead for David Simcock.

Richard Hannon saddles Guineas runner-up Dubawi Gold, while Aidan O'Brien runs Zoffany in a race that has an international flavour.

Marco Botti's German 2000 Guineas winner Excelebration, Japanese challenger Grand Prix Boss and Neebras, trained by Mahmood Al Zarooni, complete the line-up.

Second up on the first day is the King's Stand Stakes, featuring some of Europe's leading sprinters including Temple Stakes winner Sole Power.

But it is Frankel who has the racing world abuzz after he stormed to a six-length win in the Guineas, having powered out of the stalls to sew the race up by halfway.

Queally appears to have few worries that race will have left its mark on his mount, who has won all six of his races.

"He's no different than he was before the Guineas," he said.

"The critics are out there and some people say he had a hard race and galloped too fast. You have to ask how hard a race the horse behind him had. It was a super performance."

Victory for record-breaking Cecil would be his 73rd at the royal meeting and he also has a leading contender, in Twice Over, for Wednesday's feature race, the St James's Palace Stakes.

However, it is the former Australian-trained So You Think, now with O'Brien, who will be the focus of attention.

Third in the Melbourne Cup in November when trained by Bart Cummings, that distance was a step too far for the horse who has won 10 of his 14 starts.

Ryan Moore, who is the bookmakers' favourite to be top jockey at the five-day meeting, takes the ride.

Thursday is Ladies' Day where the Gold Cup will be missing last year's winner Rite of Passage, who suffered a setback, leaving another Irish challenger Fame and Glory as favourite.

Friday sees one-time Epsom Derby contender World Domination running for Cecil in the King Edward VII Stakes.

The feature race on the fourth day is the Coronation Stakes, where O'Brien's Together and the Hannon-trained Memory are leading contenders.

The fixture finishes on Saturday with the Golden Jubilee Stakes and the Wokingham Handicap the highlights of the final day.

source: http://www.betting-zone.co.uk

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