Opening day hits heights expected

By Alan Conway

The opening day of Royal Ascot 2011 delivered and then some. From the opening clash between Canford Cliffs and Goldikova to Power’s victory in the Coventry, day one was everything we hoped it would be.

Of course the main attraction on the opening day was Frankel. The mighty son of Galileo came into the St James’s Palace Stakes on the back of his wondrous display in the Qipco 2000 Guineas in April and for the majority of the crowd at Ascot the St James’s Palace was his for the taking. All he had to do was turn up.

How wrong we almost were. Frankel won but only by the slimmest margin from the fast finishing Zoffany who comfortably out-ran his huge odds of 20/1. Much has been made in the aftermath of Frankel’s performance about what kind of ride Tom Queally gave the winner.

Queally gave the winner an unusual ride. Yes they repeated the tactics that they used when Frankel won the Royal Lodge last season but from the outside it seemed that Queally played his hand sooner than everyone expected. Perhaps he was trying to catch the rest of the field on the hop. It worked but only just.

Another theory that was put forward and one that I agree with is that Frankel needs to step up in distance. He may have been going up and down on the same spot at the finish because he was asked to make a huge mid race move but I feel now, having watched the tape back, that a step up to 10 furlongs will see Frankel in an even better light.

The Juddmonte International at York in August was mentioned briefly in the aftermath of the race and that now seems the logical step for Frankel. If he can relax in the same manner as he did at Ascot and use his extraordinary change of gear over an extra two furlongs he could even give So You Think something to think about.

Before Frankel we had the much anticipated clash of Canford Cliffs and Goldikova in the Queen Anne Stakes. The race didn’t disappoint and Richard Hughes put himself forward for ride of the week aboard Canford Cliffs as the pair secured their fifth Group 1 victory together.

Hughes was masterful on Canford Cliffs as Oliver Peslier played a game of cat and mouse with Hughes. One of Hughes’s great strengths is to know just when to press the button on his horse. He timed his run to perfection and you get the feeling that if they had another two furlongs to run Canford Cliffs would still hold Goldikova.

If he can stay sound then the rest of the major mile contests could be his for the taking. Providing Frankel doesn’t turn up in the Sussex Stakes at Goodwood next month. That race would be something to savour and to call the winner of that one would take a very brave man.

The rest of the week should be fascinating viewing. I think Fame And Glory will win the Gold Cup on Thursday as he has much more latent class than his rivals and if he gets the trip I can’t see him being beaten.

The one horse that I am really looking forward to seeing is Await The Dawn on Saturday in the Hardwicke Stakes. The Giants Causeway colt made an impressive reappearance at Chester in May and will surely win a Group 1 before the end of the season. He will hopefully put up a bold show on Saturday before going onto bigger things.

By Alan Conway