Frankel's old rival Excelebration finally enjoyed his moment of glory on Champions Day at Ascot, romping away with the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot.
Photo by Racing and Sports
Dismissed five times by Frankel, including in QEII 12 months ago and by 11 lengths at Royal Ascot in the summer, the Aidan O'Brien-trained four-year-old gained his first Group One success in Britain, and third in all, with a superb victory to confirm his place among the best milers in Europe.
Although he had to wait for the gaps to come, the warm favourite powered clear in the hands of Joseph O'Brien to win easily by three lengths from Cityscape and Elusive Kate with the Queen's colt Carlton House fourth.
"We are delighted. He's been working brilliant. He's got an awful lot of speed and class, and Joseph was confident," O'Brien said.
"If he's OK and everybody is happy we'll go to the Breeders' Cup."
Excelebration is in his first season with O'Brien. He was formerly trained by Marco Botti.
"He was a good two-year-old and three-year-old and it has taken us a while to get to know him," O'Brien said.
"When we ran against Frankel in the Queen Anne we tried to match strides with him and that was the wrong thing to do. Speed is his forte and he probably did well to be second that day."
O'Brien said a decision on whether Excelebration stayed in training next year had not yet been made.
"The better he gets the more the boys want him (for stud)," he said."It's something we will have to discuss at the end of the year."
* DERMOT Weld showed why he has such a tremendous record around the world with a special G1 double on Champions Day at Ascot led by the great comeback of top stayer Rite Of Passage.
The master Irish trainer admitted his deep sense of achievement in bringing Rite Of Passage back after 510 days off the track to win the British Champions Long Distance Cup.
Tendon problems had kept eight-year-old Rite Of Passage, winner of the 2010 Ascot Gold Cup, on the sidelines and Weld was concerned about the horse's lack of fitness.
But held up in the rear by Pat Smullen he burst through a gap to lead well inside the furlong and beat Aiken by a neck with Askar Tau in third.
"He`s just a special horse and deserves to come back," Weld said.
"You must remember he set a track record when he won the Gold Cup, but he`s had serious ongoing tendon problems so it is a special day to bring him back.
"A lot of times I thought he`d be retired but he`s always had this great will to win and it was a matter of me keeping him sound trying to get him fit.
Rite Of Passage was third to Peddlers Cross at the Cheltenham Festival in 2010 before he won the Gold Cup and Weld revealed a return to jumping was not out of the question.
"I'll speak to his owner Dr (Ronan) Lambe, but we could look to take on Cheltenham. He's a super leaper and jumps for fun," Weld said.
Sapphire completed the double for Weld in the Fillies and Mares Stakes when she stayed on strongly to deny perennial bridesmaid Shirocco Star.
Relishing the testing conditions the four-year-old pulled clear in the closing stages to win by 2 1/4 lengths.
"I'll have to speak to the owner, but I would say it is unquestionable she will stay in training next year and in the back of my mind she might be a filly for the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe," Weld said.
