Royal Ascot 2012: Frankel wins Queen Anne Stakes

Frankel has been hailed not just as the best horse in the world but possibly the best ever after his devastating 11-length win in the Queen Anne Stakes.

The respected Timeform organisation, which has been rating racehorses for more than 60 years, reacted to the greatest performance in living memory at the royal meeting by crowing Frankel as the ‘ultimate racehorse’ and elevating him to 2lb better than the mighty French-trained 1965 Derby and Prix De L’Arc De Triomphe winner Sea Bird II.

That also makes him better than legends of the Turf including Brigadier Gerard, Mill Reef and Shergar.

2.30 QUEEN ANNE STAKES RESULT

1 Frankel (T P Queally) 1-10 Fav
2 Excelebration (J P O'Brien) 5-1
3 Side Glance (J Fortune) 33-1

11 ran
Also: 50-1 Indomito 4th

David Johnson, Timeform Flat Editor, said: ‘The facts are that Frankel’s performance is likely to surpass anything  witnessed in Timeform’s 64-year history.

‘To give some perspective on just how phenomenal this effort was, in provisionally rating  Frankel 147, we still have Excelebration running more than a stone below his best.’

If the latter assessment is correct about Excelebration, he has a good excuse. He is probably nursing a broken heart as well as weary limbs. This was the fifth time the second best miler in Europe, himself a Group One race winner, has been beaten by Frankel and the distance was more than double the  five-length drubbing he was handed in last month’s  Lockinge Stakes at Newbury.

It was easy to feel sorry for him as Frankel produced a performance that even surpassed last season’s memorable six-length 2,000 Guineas success.

In doing so, he was returned at odds of 1-10, the shortest price of a winner at Royal Ascot since Venture VII won the 1960 St James’s Palace Stakes at  1-33. The devastating nature of the performance appeared to embolden Sir Henry Cecil, who said a more ambitious programme for Frankel than had been previously been indicated would be considered with the option of running next month in both the 10-furlong Eclipse Stakes at Sandown and the one-mile Sussex Stakes.

In anticipation, Coral already make Frankel 1-5 for their race which is on July 7.

The Newmarket trainer said: ‘If he is jumping out of his skin we could run in the Eclipse.

‘He could do the Eclipse and the Sussex Stakes — he has not had a hard race today but the final decision will be made by his owner, Prince Khaled Abdullah.

‘He takes some pulling up and I think he will definitely stay a mile and a quarter.

‘There is a chance he will take another four races. He is (entered) in the Eclipse Stakes, the Sussex Stakes, the Juddmonte Stakes and the two races at the end of the season (Queen Elizabeth II Stakes and Champion Stakes).’

Tuesday’s race was over within a few strides of jockey Tom Queally asking Frankel to take over from his pacemaker Bullet Train just over two furlongs from home. The  performance overshadowed efforts which would normally have grabbed the spotlight.

They included a three-quarter length win in the King’s Stand Stakes for sprinter Little Bridge, trained in Hong Kong by Danny Shum and ridden by Australian Zac Purton. Jim Bolger’s Dawn Approach also became early favourite for next year’s 2,000 Guineas (16-1 with Ladbrokes) with a three-quarter length win in the Coventry Stakes.

There was also a first British Group One win in six years for Kieren Fallon, who overcame a poor draw on Most Improved in the St James’s Palace Stakes.

The performance justified the bold statements of trainer Brian Meehan before injury had struck Most Improved in the spring.

Now, the Sussex Stakes would be a natural target but Meehan might be tempted to look for other options — especially if he seeks advice from Excelebration!