Rivals confess there is nothing to stop Frankel

Henry Cecil’s magnificent colt, who shot to prominence at Doncaster’s St Leger meeting last September, is unbeaten in five starts and is poised to be sent off the shortest-price favourite for 40 years for the first Classic of the season.

Aidan O’Brien’s duo of Alexander Pope and Master Of Hounds were the two withdrawals at the final declaration stage.

Ballydoyle’s sole representative is now Roderic O’Connor, second to Frankel in the Dewhurst and winner of the Criterium International at Saint-Cloud on his final start as a juvenile. He will be ridden for the first time by Ryan Moore.

The other leading protagonists have happily stood their ground, including Craven Stakes winner Native Khan and Jessica Harrington’s Irish challenger Pathfork.

Godolphin have given the go-ahead for Racing Post Trophy winner Casamento to take place. He will be ridden by Frankie Dettori, with Saamidd (Mickael Barzalona) also set to cut loose for Sheikh Mohammed’s powerful operation.

Dubawi Gold has been much garlanded – but Richard Hannon junior, the son of the horse’s trainer, believes Frankel only has to turn up to record a long-awaited first Classic for jockey Tom Queally following the equine superstar’s Greenham success two weeks ago.

“We’re all fighting out for the places by the looks of things but he’s (Dubawi Gold) a horse who has done nothing wrong this year,” said Hannon, who hopes Memory can compensate the stable in Sunday’s 1000 Guineas for fillies.

“He’s improved all the time and he’s settling much better now.

“He’s a very talented horse and if things go right for him, hopefully he can run into the four. I think Frankel just has to turn up to win. I don’t see anything there to beat him.”

ROBIN Bastiman hopes age has yet to catch up with his stable stalwart Borderlescott, who reappears in the Pearl Bloodstock Palace House Stakes at Newmarket tomorrow.

The consistent gelding is nine but showed last summer the engine still remained when wining the King George Stakes at Glorious Goodwood.

His season ended with a bit of a whimper in the Sprint Cup at Haydock, but Wetherby-based Bastiman believes the fire still burns bright.

“He’s had a good winter. There’s been no hiccups or problems, which is the main thing,” he said.

“He’s obviously a bit older now, but the fire is still there in the belly. I rushed him at the back-end of last season. He shouldn’t have run in the Nunthorpe and hadn’t quite recovered on his next start.”

JAMES Given will launch a two-pronged attack at the Qipco Jockey Club Stakes at Newmarket tomorrow.

The Lincolnshire handler goes to war with Dandino, so impressive on his return at Ripon last week, and John Porter scorer Indian Days.

Given’s duo face stiff competition from Godolphin’s Campanologist, twice a Group One winner in Germany in 2010, and last seen finishing down the field in the Melbourne Cup.

Native Ruler is, however, arguably the most intriguing contender of a select field, with Henry Cecil’s five-year-old returning from a 631-day absence.

KAUTO Star is “full of beans”, according to owner Clive Smith, ahead of his eagerly-awaited appearance in the Punchestown Guinness Gold Cup next week.

Paul Nicholls’s veteran chaser finished third behind the six-year-old Long Run and stablemate Denman in the Cheltenham Gold Cup.

“I think that he just suffered a bit from old age at Cheltenham and he would have been a good match for Long Run if he was four years younger,” said Smith.

“He is still enjoying the training and sometimes you can do more damage to a horse by retiring them because they miss the daily routine.”

FERDY Murphy may put on hold plans to run long-distance chaser Poker de Sivola in next month’s Grand Steeple-Chase de Paris at Auteuil.

The North Yorkshire trainer says the eight-year-old has been “flat” since winning Saturday’s Bet365 Gold Cup with a stirring late run to gain an unlikley victory on the line.

Meanwhile, Poker de Sivola’s jockey, Timmy Murphy, will replace the injured Andrew Lynch when the Queen Mother Champion Chase victor, Sizing Europe, reappears at Punchestown.

GIANT gelding Columbus Secret supplemented a recent Southwell triumph by recording a 10-length triumph at Perth for Saltburn trainer Keith Reveley and his jockey son James.

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