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| Frankel My Dear - Frankel will face eight in the Juddmonte |
The declarations have been confirmed for day one of York’s Ebor Festival on Wednesday and the three Group races on the card look to be small but select fields.
In the Group 3 Acomb Stakes at 2.30pm five will go to post, Aidan O’Brien’s Alfonso De Sousa, American Impact, Dundonnell for the Roger Charlton team, Ebn Arab and Steeler for Mark Johnston.
The Group 2 Great Voltigeur – viewed by many as the predominant St. Leger trial will see six very talented three-year-olds go to post; they are: Royal Ascot winner Thomas Chippendale and Frankel’s brother Noble Mission – both for Sir Henry Cecil, Thought Worthy for John Gosden and William Buick, Derby second Main Sequence (currently favourite for the race) and Encke and the supplemented Energizer for the Godolphin team.
The day’s feature the Juddmonte International will see eight horses taking on the all-conquering Frankel as he tackles 1m2f for the first time. They include Frankel’s pacemaker Bullet Train and stable mate Twice Over (last year’s winner), Planteur – who will want rain, Sri Putra, Farhh – who Frankel destroyed over a mile in the Sussex Stakes and three from Ballydoyle, headed by St. Nicholas Abbey who is capable of giving Frankel his sternest test to date if on song. O’Brien also runs Windsor Palace and Robin Hood who are both no doubt in there to try and make things as difficult for Frankel as possible by challenging Bullet Train for pace-making duties.
Wednesday’s card is completed by three ultra-competitive handicaps, Roger Charlton holding a particularly strong hand in the opener with Rex Imperator and Zero Money, Triumph Hurdle winner Countrywide Flame could be an interesting contender in the staying handicap that follows the Juddmonte off a very lenient flat mark and in the lucky last Sir Michael Stoute’s Sir John Hawkwood looks to hold a great chance and could go off favourite.
You can read my ante-post preview of the Ebor Festival from last week here
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