Meeting between ‘world’s best horses’ seems unlikely

Black Caviar stretched her unbeaten record to 19 at the weekend, but the Australian horse was racing over five furlongs, having run over seven furlongs the week before.

The six-furlong Golden Jubilee Stakes has been the long-held plan for Black Caviar should she travel to England in the summer, although she is believed likely to get an entry in the Queen Anne Stakes over a mile.

Sir Henry Cecil has stated his intention to step up Frankel to 10 furlongs this season, but he may still run in the Queen Anne after he reappears at that trip in the Lockinge at Newbury in May.

“Black Caviar is clearly exceptional, but I can’t speak for them regarding what race she will run in at Ascot. I did speak to Peter Moody (her trainer) at Flemington but only briefly,” said Grimthorpe, owner Prince Khalid Abdullah’s racing manager.

“If it happens, it happens, but it feels like we’ve got slightly different agendas.

“Sir Henry is looking at stretching Frankel this year. We hope to start off in the Lockinge and then we have two options at Royal Ascot; either the Queen Anne or the Prince of Wales’s.

“I can understand there is tremendous goodwill out there for the two to get together.

“One is the best horse in the southern hemisphere and one is the best horse in the northern hemisphere – they are the two best horses in the world.

“If we do decide to run in the Queen Anne and Black Caviar runs in it also, then so be it.

“But Sir Henry may decide that a mile-and-a-quarter is the way for him this season.”

n Wetherby flies the flag for Yorkshire racegoers today with a seven-race card starting at 1.40pm.

Bingley handler Sue Smith currently leads the way in the course’s top trainer competition and has a number of runners, including You Know Yourself in the feature race, the Yorkshire Post Ladies Day – 24th May Handicap Chase.

However, she may have to give best to Brunswick Gold, who was hugely impressive when stepped up to staying trips at Catterick last time and may still have something in hand of the handicapper.

The best bet of the day comes in the opening race at Taunton, courtesy of Giordano Bruno.

Philip Hobbs’s charge was having his first run for almost three years at the Somerset venue last time, so it is hardly surprising that he faded into third.

Likely to come on enormously for that run, he can return to the winner’s enclosure in this.