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Glorious Goodwood 2012 |
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Frankel Must Defy History If He Is To Make It Win Number 12 In Sussex Stakes 30/07/12
Wednesday sees the return to the racecourse of the incomparable, unbeaten and unbelievable Frankel, where he will bid to claim back-to-back victories in the Group 1 Sussex Stakes at Glorious Goodwood. Should he win, then amazingly, he will become the first racehorse ever to do so!
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Despite having a history that dates back to 1841, The Sussex Stakes is a race that has always denied back-to-back successes. Much of this is down to the high quality fields that the race attracts but more sceptical racing fans would argue that it is a race that is simply jinxed. Does this jinx therefore put Sir Henry Cecil’s stable superstar’s unbeaten record in jeopardy next week? For which he is 1/20 according to glorious-goodwood.net.
Canford Cliffs is the latest example to fail to retain his Sussex Stakes crown, winner in 2010, had to settle for second place beaten five lengths by none other than Frankel. There were no real excuses on offer for the defeat, Frankel was simply the faster horse and Canford cliffs proved no match for him and as such, it was equine brilliance from the winner that was arguably more a reason than any "jinx". However, a leg injury sustained in the race which ended Canford Cliff's racing career could possibly be regarded a result of any such "curse" associated to the race.
The same happened in 2010, when the Aidan O’Brien trained Rip Van Winkle came looking for his second win in the race but Canford Cliffs denied him by a neck of becoming the first horse to break the hoodoo.
It was the same story for Soviet Song in 2005. The James Fanshawe trained filly won the race in 2004, the same year she was made the highest rated older filly in the world. She went in to the race in 2005 having already picked up back-to-back wins in the Group 1 Falmouth Stakes and went off in the 2005 renewal of the Sussex Stakes renewal as the 2/1 favourite. However, she was beaten by Jeremy Noseda’s Proclamation by ½ length. Undaunted, Fanshawe brought Soviet Song back to the Sussex Downs in 2006 for a second attempt to get the all important second win in the race but on that occasion, she found fellow six year old, Court Masterpiece, too good for her and had to settle for second place once again.
Godolphin horses have also suffered misery in the Sussex Stakes, Noverre won in 2001 but found the 2002 Two Thousand Guineas winner, Rock Of Gibraltar, too good a year later, losing by two lengths. They also failed with their in 2000 with Aljabr, winner in 1999 but could only manage fifth place a year later behind Giant’s Causeway.
The same story is repeated many times down the years, which is why after over 170 years, there has been no horse that has managed to win the Sussex Stakes twice.
Frankel should be the exception, and if there is a horse to end such an intriguing trend, then the Sir Henry Cecil four year old must surely be it. Rated the highest horse of all time by Timeform at 147, Frankel is arguably on track to confirm himself as the greatest horse to ever live and becoming the first horse to win the Sussex Stakes twice would provide just another reason to add support to that statement. Beyond that, a step up to 1m 2f would have to be the next step in writing a horse racing legacy.
