This week leads up to Saturday's Champions Day racing at Ascot, the one-year-old scheme devised to rival the Breeders Cup in the US. The occasion will be momentous with Frankel set to run his last race in the Qipco Champion Stakes. Just crunching the race at the moment and clearly there are only 3 names to retain from the 8-horse field; the Invincible Frankel himself, the French superstar Cirrus des Aigles and Nathaniel, one of the best middle-distance horses around and who is the closest to have come to going toe-to-toe with Frankel, on their debut.
I hope there's lots of rain and the ground is sticky muddy on race day. That's the only way to get decent odds on Frankel. Heavy conditions will suit Cirrus to perfection. This will give hope to the French raiding party supporters. It might even give hope to Nathaniel supporters. It will dampen the Frankel camp as he's not proven on too soft ground . But no matter how bottomless the ground, I have hardly any doubt that he will win. He's a stone clear of the others at the weights and I think he is the only one who can beat himself. Cirrus is deservedly the second highest-rated horse in training but he's no Frankel.
I am no fan of the ante-post market, but if they are going to go to post, to me, Frankel is a sure win and Cirrus is a sure Place. Once the markets open, any combo involving these 2, seems to me the way to go.
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