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Captain's Blog - 2nd September 2011

I received a vitriolic response to yesterday's blog which I believe was unfair. In essence I tried to examine the concept of class in a racehorse and I came to the conclusion that horses do not win races because of this rather nebulous concept. They actually win races because they can run faster than their opponents.

The word class is regularly used as a reason for a horse's outstanding performance and it is my opinion that in this context the word is not only misused but meaningless. In essence it is too vague. This is an opinion of mine - nothing more nothing less - and I apologise if it offended but I am not going to change my mind.

I also mentioned Frankel in my blog and the responder suggested I was having a go at the horse again and that I must have lost loads of money on him. Firstly, I was not attacking the horse and never have. Secondly, I have never backed him and never opposed him in any of his races. I am fed up with my view on Frankel being completely misunderstood as it was yesterday. This is the final time I will spell it out. Read carefully.

Frankel is a very talented racehorse whose best performance this year came in the Guineas where he ran a sensational speed figure. His win in the Sussex Stakes was received with hysterical praise which in my opinion was misplaced.

He beat a horse that was injured and got an easy lead in doing so, consequently posting a poor speed figure. He was still visually impressive, but on what he achieved at Goodwood he cannot be called a champion, and that is my point. I am not saying he is not a champion, I am not saying he will not win at Ascot. I am saying that the adulation he received after the Sussex Stakes was misplaced.

I would like to add that after the Sussex Stakes I suggested that Canford Cliffs may be injured as he hung rather like Cockney Rebel did in the St James's Palace Stakes a few years ago and of course that horse was found to have injured his pelvis. A lucky guess on my part no doubt!

I am also saying that we must all be careful of pure visual impressions, they can be very misleading and to be validated they need to be backed up by the concrete evidence of the clock.

I cannot for the life of me see why such a balanced approach has caused such consternation. That is my final word on Frankel. I know that when he wins at Ascot all the 'I told you so' brigade will come out to attack me, but whatever he does next week will not change my view of the Sussex Stakes and if he gets an easy lead at Ascot and wins without posting a decent speed figure I will be putting that race in the same draw as the Sussex Stakes.

Have a good day.

Today's Selection

4.40 Haydock - Palazzo Bianco (each way)