The brilliance, and long-term promise, of Frankel was fully displayed on Saturday when the undefeated colt easily won the English 2000 Guineas, his sixth career win.
Hours after Prince William married Kate Middleton in central London in a royal wedding that grabbed worldwide attention, a 9-year-old gelding named Royal Wedding won a handicap steeplechase at Fontwell Park in southern England.
Both River Jetez and Wigmore Hall rate a decent chance in the Queen Elizabeth II Cup on Sunday at Sha Tin in Hong Kong, but local talent Ambitious Dragon, flattered by the result of the Champions Mile last week at Sha Tin, might prove to be a handful.
Frankel may be the shortest-priced favorite in more than 35 years when he starts in Saturday’s 2000 Guineas at Newmarket, England.
Sarafina, the winner of the 2010 French Oaks who was later third in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe last fall, will make her first start of 2011 in Saturday’s Group 1 Prix Ganay at Longchamp in Paris.
Four-year-old Xtension won for just the second time in his career when he rallied from mid-pack behind a slow pace to capture the Group 1, $1.54 million Champions Mile on Monday at Sha Tin Racecourse in Hong Kong.
Orfevre won his second consecutive stakes in the Japanese 2000 Guineas at Tokyo Racecourse on Sunday, weaving his way through traffic in early stretch to win the $2.3 million race by three lengths.
Dick Turpin, looking like a major player in the European mile division, easily won the Group 2 Bet365 Mile on Saturday at Sandown in England.
Fresh off a determined victory in the $5 million Dubai Duty Free, Presvis will try a new trick Monday at Sha Tin in Hong Kong. Typically raced between nine and 10 furlongs, Presvis is the highest-rated horse among 14 entered in the Champions Mile, Presvis’s first start at less than 1 1/8 miles in almost three years.
Grand Vent, third in stakes in his last two starts for trainer Andre Fabre, and Genzy, who won his first start of the year on March 28, are two leading contenders in Sunday’s Group 2 Prix Noailles at Longchamp, France.
