Champion Stakes next for Frankel
Henry Cecil’s incredible colt produced another mesmerising performance to land the Juddmonte International at York last week on his first attempt at a mile and quarter, after which his options were discussed.
The Prix du Moulin at Longchamp was a potential September target, while the possibility of a step up to a mile and a half for the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe was also mooted as a mouth-watering possibility.
However, an appearance on Champions Day on October 20 always seemed his most likely destination. Teddy Grimthorpe, racing manager for owner Prince Khalid Abdullah, said: “Following discussions with Sir Henry Cecil, Prince Khalid has decided that Frankel’s next race will be the Champion Stakes at Ascot on October 20.”
* Sole Power is likely to go for the Qatar Prix de l’Abbaye at Longchamp on October 7 after disappointing connections in the Nunthorpe Stakes at York.
Trainer Edward Lynam felt the five-year-old, who won the five-furlong dash as an 100-1 shot in 2010, put in a below-par display when only seventh behind Ortensia on Friday.
The County Meath handler is now looking at giving Sole Power another crack at the Abbaye in which he was an unlucky third, beaten only a head, by Tangerine Trees last autumn.
“He’s come out of the race at York OK. He’ll probably go for the Abbaye,” said Lynam. “There were loads of excuses for lots of different horses that day, but we felt our horse didn’t run to his best.”
* Kris Kin, the subject of a huge gamble when winning the 2003 Derby, has died following a paddock accident at stud in Libya. The 12-year-old tried to jump a gate and died instantly after breaking his neck at the Al Shaab Stud near Tripoli, where he was sold to stand only last month.
Trained by Michael Stoute, the son of Kris S had been taken out of the Derby as a two-year-old but progressed rapidly over the winter and made a winning seasonal debut in the Dee Stakes at Chester under Fergal Lynch, after which he was put back in the Classic at a cost of £90,000.
Kieren Fallon was aboard at Epsom where, backed down to 6-1 from 14-1, Kris Kin came with a strong late run to beat The Great Gatsby by a length.
