2011 Royal Ascot: Frankel Holds on to Win G1 St. James's Palace Stakes

In an exciting opening day of racing at Royal Ascot, Frankel kept the crowd thrilled in the G1 St. James’s Palace Stakes, winning by 3/4  lengths.

Frankel entered the Royal Ascot meeting off of an impressive six-length victory in the G1 QIPCO Two Thousand Guineas in April. But in a different tactic from his previous races, Frankel was asked to relax behind horses for the first time.

The plan proved to work as the colt settled in fourth as his stablemate Rerouted set the pace several lengths in front of the field.  But Frankel’s fourth place spot turned into an easy second place spot before the half mile, sitting a few lengths behind Rerouted.

Frankel took the lead around the final bend into the stretch and gained a three length advantage but showed his age by losing his focus on the race, allowing closer Zoffany to cut into his lead.

Frankel held on at the wire, beating Zoffany by 3/4 lengths and Excelebration finished in third 1 1/2 lengths back from Zoffany.

Frankel’s trainer Sir Henry Cecil was pleased with his colt’s race and happy to know that the horse can be rated.

“He settled really well—very well,” Cecil told Blood Horse.  “Obviously the pacemaker went off very fast and he had to ask him to take it up. [Frankel’s jockey] Tom Queally said when he was in front a furlong out he thought he’d done enough.

“He said he was getting really idle, which is good in a way as it means we can ride a normal race on him. He wasn’t at all tired, he just thought he’d done enough. That’s good really, it means we can settle him in behind now.”

There are two options for Frankel in the coming months, one at a mile and one at 10 furlongs but Cecil isn’t picking right now.

Frankel is owned and bred by Juddmonte Farms and  is named after Juddmonte’s old trainer Bobby Frankel who died in 2009. Frankel is by Galileo and out of the Powerscourt half-sister, Kind. He is now undefeated in seven starts.