Frankel only raised 1lb for Dewhurst success
Frankel maybe sending shockwaves throughout horse racing circles following his truimph for Henry Cecil in the Dewhurst Stakes, but the official handicapper is failing to get carried away, just yet.
The champion two-year old of Europe has been only raised 1lb for his two-and-a-half length victory over Roderic O'Connor at Newmarket on Saturday which means Cecil's unbeaten colt is now on a mark of 124 after having had a rating of 123 for his previous victory in the Royal Lodge Stakes at Ascot last month.
Despite being dubbed as one of the most exciting two-year-olds ever to be raced, Frankel’s current rating is 2lbs lower than 2007 Dewhurst winner and eventual Derby victor New Approach, which suggests the form of this year’s Dewhurst hasn’t overly impressed the panel at the BHA Headquarters.
Matthew Tester, British Horseracing Authority senior handicapper and responsible for assessing two-year-olds, explained to At The Races: "I appreciate that Frankel looks to have the makings of a superstar and the way he quickened past his field was impressive.
"It is reasonable to believe that he would have won by further but for getting tired after racing keenly in the early stages. There is every hope that he will prove to be an exceptional horse.
"However, with Dream Ahead and Saamidd clearly not running to their best, the form of the placed horses makes it impossible to give Frankel an exceptional rating yet.
"The runner-up, Roderic O'Connor, was the winner of one of his two races - a maiden at the Curragh - for which he was provisionally assessed at less than 100 in Ireland. The third horse, Glor Na Mara, is still a maiden after six starts. He had a rating in Ireland of 112 before the race and had recently been disappointing.”
Frankel may have run his final race of the season, but this doesn’t mean his rating will stick for the remainder of the season, as Tester goes on to explain.
“There is the possibility that the figures for Frankel's win in the Royal Lodge Stakes may be raised if the placed horses perform well in the coming weeks."
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