Sir Henry Cecil will leave the defence of the Sussex Stakes up to wonderhorse Frankel.
The four-year-old Galileo colt ran out a stunning winner of the Queen Anne Stakes as Royal Ascot got under way yesterday.
Cecil spoke of his relief after the world’s highest-rated racehorse cruised effortlessly clear of closest rival Excelebration to land his 11th-straight victory.
The Sussex Stakes – Glorious Goodwood’s blue riband race – is now firmly in the unbeaten talent’s sights.
In last year’s renewal, Frankel blew the field apart under jockey Tom Queally.
The 138-rated superstar currently heads the 37 entries for the Group 1 contest on August 1.
But Cecil has insisted the final decision on the next target will be down to Frankel himself.
The Newmarket trainer said: ‘It’s relief. I’m not surprised but relieved.
‘There’s no such thing as a certainty.
‘He is a great horse and you’ve seen him for yourself so everybody can form their own opinion.
‘He did exactly what I thought but he’s still improving, Tom said he’s still improving.
‘He looks as if he’ll stay a mile and a quarter so we’ll leave our options open.
‘He’s in the Eclipse, he’s in the Sussex, he’s in the Juddmonte and the two races at the end of the year.
‘He’ll tell me what to do next, I don’t tell him.
‘It’s very unlikely he’ll go to the Breeders’ Cup, though.’
Frankel was sent off the 1/10 favourite for the Queen Anne Stakes yesterday.
He settled behind his pacemaker Bullet Train before sweeping into the lead three furlongs out.
Excelebration did his best to stay in touch but he had no answer when Queally pressed the accelerator.
In the end the Aidan O’Brien-trained four-year-old was second best to Frankel for the fifth time in his career.
Side Glance was a neck behind in third spot.
Queally said: ‘It looks like he’s improving.
‘He settled, he travelled, he got everything else off the bridle when I was still sitting there. He’s amazing.
‘That’s his best performance – he ticked all the boxes, he did everything right.’
Richard Hannon’s Strong Suit, who is also entered in the Sussex Stakes, failed to make an impression on the leaders and weakened to 10th.
Hannon may decide to re-route the American-bred son of Rahy now and avoid a second showdown with the seemingly untouchable Frankel.
At Royal Ascot this afternoon, King Torus – who won the Vintage Stakes at Goodwood back in 2010 – was set to bid for glory in the Royal Hunt Cup.
Meanwhile, West Sussex handler Gary Moore was expected to hand a debut to Delphica in the Group 2 Queen Mary Stakes.
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Essex: Springwatch star Michaela Strachan to open new visitor centre at Abberton Reservoir near Colchester - East Anglian Daily Times
Michaela Strachan is to open a new visitor centre at Abberton Reservoir near Colchester
By Chris Harris
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
7:48 AM
TELEVISION presenter Michaela Strachan will officially unveil a new wildlife visitor centre and nature reserve in Essex.
Ms Strachan, who has just finished filming Springwatch for the BBC, will open the Essex Wildlife Trust building at Abberton Reservoir near Colchester.
The 15-sided visitor complex has been built as part of a £150million project to increase the reservoir’s capacity by 15billion litres.
John Hall, chief executive of Essex Wildlife Trust, said: “We are delighted to welcome a wildlife champion like Michaela Strachan to Abberton Reservoir to carry out the official opening duties of our new visitor centre and reserve.
“We look forward to welcoming guests and the public to what should be a memorable day. Abberton is already a hugely significant site for wildlife and our new reserve will help make it even more crucial over the coming years.
“Our fabulous new visitor centre brings people closer to that wildlife. The trust’s vision is of a ‘Living Landscape’ where wildlife and people co-exist side by side, to mutual benefit, and Abberton is a fine example of that ideal.
“Together with Essex & Suffolk Water we are making Abberton Reservoir better for wildlife, better for people – and better for future generations.”
Strachan will officially open the centre on Saturday and will be joined by the Mayor of Colchester and representatives from Layer-de-la-Haye Parish Council, Essex Birdwatching Society, Natural England, Abberton Management Committee and TJ Evers, who built the visitor centre.The opening ceremony will coincide with a special fair, which will include a birds of prey display, charity and trade stands, refreshments and a beer tent.
John Devall, operations director of Essex & Suffolk Water, said: “Abberton Reservoir is one of the most important sites in Europe for its wildlife and is also an essential part of the county’s infrastructure helping us supply water to more than a million people in Essex.
“The official opening of the visitor centre is a chance to celebrate this fantastic new facility, which provides a gateway to access this very special site.
“The relocation and enhancement of the visitor centre is part of the Abberton Scheme, which includes the expansion of the reservoir’s capacity by 58%.
“Guests at the opening event will also have the opportunity to learn more about this essential and major Scheme from the project team.”
The old visitor centre, opened in 1990, has been dismantled on low-lying land that will be flooded. The new visitor centre is on adjacent higher land, at the heart of an 80-acre nature reserve.
Source: www.eadt.co.uk
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