Canford Cliffs conquers the mighty Goldikova
Frankel just does enough to win St James’s Palace
By Tom Krish in Chicago
Frankel was the 3/10 favorite in the St James’s Palace Stakes at Ascot on Tuesday, the opening day of the Royal Meeting. Rerouted, Michael Hills up, went into a long lead. The pace was brisk and jockey Hills looked right and left as the margin began to diminish approaching the halfway mark. Tom Queally, on Frankel, was on the move at that point and Henry Cecil’s charge took over the running with three furlongs to run. Frankel had a five-length break on his pursuers with two furlongs left. There was a furlong to run and the chasing pack was closing in. The Galileo sophomore held on as Zoffany and Excelebration came charging. Yes, there was an anxious moment or two but post-race comments from trainer Cecil and jockey Queally set at rest many of the concerns raised by the pundits.
I am guilty of a mistake. The St James’s Palace Stakes gave Frankel seven wins in a row. In yesterday’s story, I had said that Frankel was seeking his eighth consecutive win. I apologize.
The winning margin was three parts of a length and Zoffany took second. Excelebration salvaged third one and one half lengths away. The time was 1 39.24 seconds. The race was over the round mile course. Frankel is by Galileo and out of Kind, a Danehill mare.
Sir Cecil spoke. “He wasn’t all tired. He just thought he had done enough. That is good really, it means we can settle him in behind. Tom (Queally) said that he was getting idle which is good and we can now ride a normal race on him.”
Jockey Queally is getting accustomed to being in the spotlight. “He (Frankel) was more relaxed today than he has ever been. I went sooner rather than later because nobody wanted to chase the pace,” Queally said.
The question of Frankel getting leg weary was addressed by Tom Queally. “He was not getting tired. He is growing all the time. He was in front for a long way and he was just getting a bit sick of it.”
Tuesday’s racing began with the Group Queen Anne Stakes on the straight mile course. Canford Cliffs was the 11/8 second favorite. Goldikova was 5/4. Richard Hughes had the Hannon colt held up. Goldikova drew first blood when striking the front a little over a furlong from home. Not many moments had lapsed and Canford Cliffs came calling. Widest of all, Cityscape was looming large. For a moment or two, it looked like the two principals would be overwhelmed by Cityscape’s finishing burst. A reminder from Olivier Peslier saw Goldikova lengthen her stride. Canford Cliffs was not going away. There were 100 yards to run and the anticipated duel was being waged. Hughes called on his colt and Canford Cliffs responded. The margin was a length and another length and three quarters away in third was Cityscape.
The straight mile was run in 1 38.38 seconds. Canford Cliffs is a four year-old colt by Tagula and is out of Mrs Marsh by Marju. Canford Cliffs has now won five in a row beginning with the Irish 2000 Guineas at the Curragh last year.
Richard Hannon heaped praise on his colt. “He had to have a go at her. He is a very good horse and has great cruising speed. He also has a turn of foot. That’s the main thing.”
Richard Hughes was loquacious. “From day one, he has not put a foot wrong. I’ve always said he is the best I have ridden. It was a game of cat and mouse. I could not kick until Goldikova kicked.”
Talking about his colt’s courage, jockey Hughes said, “he is an amazing horse. He had to quicken to get to Goldikova and quicken again. The last two furlongs were the fastest of the race.”
Trainer Freddie Head was magnanimous. “No excuses on the ground. Canford Cliffs is a very good horse. She (Goldikova) saw daylight a little bit early but she ran well. Jacques le Marois is next and of course, the Breeders’ Cup at the end of the year is our target.”
Jockey Peslier was fined for changing his boots after the weigh out and the change resulted in an extra pound. It was a 650-pound punishment.
The third Group I race on opening day at Royal Ascot was the 1000-metre King’s Stand Stakes. Prohibit, a six year-old Oasis Dream gelding, gave trainer Robert Cowell his first win at the Royal Meeting. Ridden by Jim Crowley, Prohibit, a 7/1 chance, came off the pace. Star Witness, the Australian runner, took the runner-up berth. Prohibit won by half a length and clocked 59.5 seconds. Prohibit was halting a six-race losing trend. The Cowell trainee was coming off a photo loss in the 1000-metre Prix du Gros on soft going in France.
Overdose led and weakened to be fourth. Kingsgate Native, the 11/2 favorite, finished sixth. Sole Power was eighth. Bridgetown, the American runner, took 12th. Finishing 13th was Holiday For Kitten, the other US-based sprinter. All 19 ran.
The Aidan O’Brien-trained Power, an Oasis Dream colt, made it three for three in the Coventry Stakes. Ryan Moore rode the 4/1 chance in the 23-runner field.
Eddie Ahern replaced Kieren Fallon and was aboard Veiled who scored in the 2400-metre Ascot Stakes. A 11/2 chance, Veiled won by almost three lengths. Nicky Hendersen trains Veiled. Nineteen ran.
The 1000-metre Windsor Castle went to the John Murtagh-ridden Frederick Engels, the 9/4 public choice. There were 24 runners. David Brown trains the winner.
Wednesday’s feature at Royal Ascot is the Group I Prince of Wales over 2000 metres. It is the third race at 3 45 PM London time. The prohibitive favorite here is So You Think, the Australian superstar. A six year-old son of High Chaparral, So You Think has an impressive resume. With 10 wins from 14 starts, So You Think has earnings of 3,180,439 pounds. In 2011, So You Think has two races at the Curragh, the High Chaparral Stakes and the Tattersalls Gold Cup. So You Think, in the care of Bart Cummings, won the Cox Plate twice at Moonee Valley. In the 2010 Melbourne Cup, So You Think, as the 2/1 favorite, took third behind Americain and Malucky Day. Ryan Moore rides. Now a Coolmore representative, So You Think is trained by Aidan O’Brien. A So You Think loss will be an upset of enormous proportions.
Debussy, winner of the 2010 Arlington Million, opposes So You Think. Jan Vermeer, the beaten chalk in the 2010 Epsom Derby, is in the field. Jan Vermeer won the Group I Criterium International at Saint Cloud in November 2009 and has not fulfilled that promise since.
Planteur, second in the Prince of Wales betting, will be ridden by Christophe Soumillon. Planteur, a colt by Danehill Dancer, chased the best sophomores in Europe in 2010. This year, Planteur won the Group II Prix d’Harcourt and the Group I Prix Ganay at Longchamp on April 30.
Rewilding, a failed favorite in the English St Leger in 2010, comes into the race with a decisive win in the Sheema Classic on World Cup day at the Meydan on March 26. Frankie Dettori rides the Godolphin-owned runner.
Sri Putra has had a win here and there but his record does not make him a frontline contender at Group I level. Roger Varian, who took over from M A Jarvis, trains
Twice Over, a member of the Abdullah-Cecil-Queally team, returns to action. The dual Champion Stakes winner at Newmarket in 2009 and 2010, Twice Over was a flop in the World Cup this year. A wide draw was the cause. In his most recent outing, Twice Over, a six year-old Observatory horse, took sixth in the Lockinge at Newbury.
The Prince of Wales Stakes is worth 227,080 pounds to the winner. Thursday is Ladies’ Day at Royal Ascot. The main race is the 3000-metre Ascot Gold Cup. On Tuesday, the Queen unveiled a statue of Yeats who the Gold Cup in 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009.
