Horse Profiles: Six of the Best for 2012

No less than 12 of the world’s top 16 Flat horses, eight of which were home trained, raced in the QIPCO British Champions Series during the 2011 season according to the World Thoroughbred Rankings. 

The world’s best horse, Frankel (rated 136), led the way with seven other British-trained horses below him amongst those rated 124 or above – Canford Cliffs (127), Rewilding (127), Dream Ahead (126), Excelebration (126), Nathaniel (126), Twice Over (125) and Workforce (125). 

The four overseas stars in the world’s top 16 to race in the Series were Cirrus des Aigles (128) and Goldikova (124) from France and So You Think (126) and St Nicholas Abbey (124) from Ireland. 

Amongst the top-rated horses, only Australian sprinting sensation Black Caviar (132) and the brilliant German-trained Arc winner Danedream (128) did not race in Britain last season, but both are expected to do so this year. The other two international horses at the lower end of the top 16 were Singapore star Rocket Man (125), also a possible to race in Britain this summer, and the American-trained Breeders’ Cup Classic winner, Drosselmeyer (124), a dirt racing specialist. 

All 12 of those that did race here in 2011 finished first or second in British Group 1 races, providing a vintage year for the top level of Flat racing in this country. 

Rod Street, Chief Executive of British Champions Series, said at the announcement of the World 
Thoroughbred Rankings in January: “It was a sensational year for Flat racing in this country. The introduction of the QIPCO British Champions Series to showcase our top races and the creation of QIPCO British Champions Day as the new climax to our season were truly blessed by the star quality of the main participants. 

“With Frankel set to return this year together with a plethora of the other top horses from last year and with the world’s second best horse, Black Caviar, on course to make her European debut at Royal Ascot in June, we could be set for something even more spectacular in 2012.” 

Here are six of the best to look out for in the British Champions Series 2012:

Frankel

Unbeaten in nine career starts, including four QIPCO British Champions Series races last year, Frankel (pictured top) is the highest-rated racehorse in the world. The Prince Khalid Abdulla-owned and Sir Henry Cecil-trained superstar is expected to contest four or five Series races in 2012 over a mile and ten furlongs.

Possible targets include the JLT Lockinge Stakes at Newbury in May, the Queen Anne Stakes or Prince of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot in June, the Coral-Eclipse Stakes at Sandown Park in July, the QIPCO Sussex Stakes at Goodwood in August and the Juddmonte International Stakes at York in August.

The final start of his career is likely to be on QIPCO British Champions Day at Ascot in October in either the QIPCO Champion Stakes or the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes.

Black Caviar

An Australian superstar, Black Caviar is unbeaten after 19 races, equalling the Australian record. Trained by Peter Moody, she is the world’s top sprinter and the second highest-rated thoroughbred behind Frankel.

Due to make her first foray outside Australia to run in Britain this summer, her most likely targets are the Diamond Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot in June and the Darley July Cup at Newmarket’s Piper Heidsieck July Festival, both key races in the QIPCO British Champions Series sprint division.

There is also the fascinating possibility that she might clash with Frankel over a mile in the QIPCO Sussex Stakes at Goodwood on 1 August, for which the sponsors are offering to increase the purse to £1m if the world’s two best horses were both to run. What a prospect that would be! 

Cirrus des Aigles 

The joint third highest-rated racehorse in the world last year after Frankel and Black Caviar, Cirrus des Aigles won Britain’s QIPCO Champion Stakes on his first visit to the country on QIPCO British Champions Day at Ascot last October.

Trained in France by Corine Barande-Barbe, the six-year-old gelding remains in the form of his life and ran out a comfortable winner of one of the big prizes on Dubai Wold Cup Night in March this year, the Dubai Sheema Classic over a mile and a half.

His three most likely QIPCO British Champions Series targets in 2012 are all at Ascot – the Prince of Wales’s Stakes at the Royal Meeting in June, the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes (sponsored by Betfair) in July and a bid to win a second QIPCO Champion Stakes in October. The Coral-Eclipse and Juddmonte International might also be on his agenda. 

Danedream 

The other joint third highest-rated horse in the world last year, Danedream, was a deeply impressive winner of the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp in Paris last October, belying her odds of 20–1 to slam a very strong field by five lengths. It was a truly remarkable performance by the daughter of Lomitas. 

Trained in Germany by Peter Schiergen, Danedream improved throughout last season and could well do so again as a fully developed four-year-old in 2012. Her likely QIPCO British Champions Series target is the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes (sponsored by Betfair) at Ascot in July, when Cirrus des Aigles and Nathaniel could take her on. 

Nathaniel 

A lightly raced four-year-old, Nathaniel currently has a rating of 126, just two pounds behind Cirrus des Aigles and Danedream whom he is likely to face, if everything goes according to plan, in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes (sponsored by Betfair) at Ascot in July, a race he won impressively last year.

Trained by John Gosden, Nathaniel has the profile to improve with age and is likely to be a formidable middle distance campaigner this year. His final start of last season saw him finish a fine fifth in the QIPCO Champion Stakes and he is likely to run over the same course and distance at Royal Ascot in the Prince of Wales’s Stakes in June and then potentially have a crack at the Coral-Eclipse Stakes at Sandown Park in July, a race that could also be on Frankel’s agenda.

Camelot

Europe’s joint highest-rated two year-old in 2011 after two easy victories, the second in the Group 1 Racing Post Trophy at Doncaster, Camelot approaches the 2012 season with a huge reputation. Ante-post favourite for both the QIPCO 2000 Guineas and the Investec Derby, the Aidan O’Brien-trained colt could be another Flat racing superstar in the making.

Whilst there are a lot of other potentially top class three-year-olds gearing up for races in the QIPCO British Champions Series, especially amongst the fillies, Camelot’s reappearance is the one that the majority of racing fans are anticipating the most.

Whilst he is likely to be seen at his best over middle distances in races such as the Investec Derby, he showed such an impressive turn of foot in the Racing Post Trophy that he could be the horse to get the 2012 Series off to a flying start over a mile in the QIPCO 2000 Guineas on 5 May.

GUIDE TO THE BRITISH CHAMPIONS SERIES 2012 – CLICK HERE

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