Frankel holds on to give Cecil royal joy

English superhorse Frankel crowned a thrilling few days for the newly-knighted Sir Henry Cecil by winning the St James’s Palace Stakes on the opening day of Royal Ascot.

By (AFP)

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Published: Tue 14 Jun 2011, 10:03 PM

Last updated: Mon 6 Apr 2015, 7:39 PM

Frankel justified his being sent off the 3-10 favourite - the shortest priced favourite in the race since 1947 - holding off the fast finishing Irish raider Zoffany to maintain his unbeaten status and add this prize to the English 2000 Guineas last month.

His Guineas win was based on a trail-blazing style, but Cecil had intimated a change in tactics and so it proved when Rerouted, also owned by Prince Khalid Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, went ten lengths clear in the early stages.

As Rerouted rounded the bend, Frankel’s jockey Tom Queally galvanised his mount into action and he caught his pacemaker just before the pair entered the straight.

Queally kicked for home and caught his rivals napping, but Ryan Moore conjured a great late run from the Aidan O’Brien-trained Zoffany - who had only reappeared on the racecourse at the end of May after a long absence - but the winner deservedly hung on.

Excelebration took third under Adam Kirby.

Cecil wasn’t ruffled atall by the manner in which Zoffany had reduced the gap in the final furlong and ridiculed suggestions that his horse only really stayed six furlongs.

“He settled really well,” said 68-year-old Cecil, who was awarded a knighthood by Queen Elizabeth II last weekend.

“At the final furlong he thought he had done enough. He was idling at the end.

“The plan was to go just before the bend, and in the Royal Lodge (last September) the further he went the better he went. Now he is getting wiser and he felt he had the race won. Tom said he wasn’t at all tired, which is good really.”

Cecil intends to step Frankel up to a mile and a quarter next time for the Juddmonte International at York on August 17, though, he added that the Group One Sussex Stakes at Goodwood over a mile in late July still remained a possibility.

Frankel’s narrow victory will have caused palpitations for one punter, who just before the off placed £150,000 pounds on him to win £200,000.