The whole of the British racing industry breathed a collective sigh of relief, as the news broke that the majestic Frankel has been given the ‘all clear’ to resume training. The report put to bed rumours that the outstanding son of Galileo might not make it onto a racecourse as a four-year-old, writes Elliot Slater.
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An injury to the near-fore of the unbeaten Prince Khaled Abdullah-owned colt sent racing fans into a spin, a situation that became all the more concerning when Teddy Grimthorpe, racing manager to the prince, revealed that the horse would require a scan to determine the full extent of the injury.
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Happily, Frankel passed the scan with flying colours and has been given the green light to resume training, ahead of a possible seasonal bow in the Group 1 Locking Stakes at Newbury in mid-May, the start of what could prove to be another sensational season for the brilliant miler.
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Doubtless the racecourse executive at Goodwood will also be delighted with the news, as it means that the possible match between Frankel and the brilliant Australian mare, Black Caviar, is now back on, a race for which the sponsors, Qipco, have pledged to add some £700,000 to the original purse for the Group 1 Sussex Stakes.
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If the outstanding racehorses from the northern and southern hemispheres go head to head, the contest will become the first £1 million race in British history. Check out the Goodwood odds to see which horse is favoured for the win.
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Frankel’s trainer, Sir Henry Cecil, has suggested that he will probably seek to step his star up from a mile to 10 furlongs after the Newbury race.
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However, the lure of the Goodwood lucre, together with an undoubted public clamour to see the two equine superstars trade blows, could persuade the popular knight to revert back to eight furlongs with the unbeaten nine-time winner for the clash at the ‘Glorious’ fixture.