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FRANKEL HEADS FIELD IN QUEEN ELIZABETH STAKES (Reprinted courtesy The Racing Post)

FRANKEL, who faces seven rivals at Ascot in the Qipco Queen Elizabeth II Stakes on Saturday, has been reported to be “going really well” by trainer Sir Henry Cecil in his build-up to British Champions Day.

The unbeaten son of Galileo has hogged the headlines all season but was particularly devastating when turning the Qipco 2,000 Guineas into a one-horse race.

Cecil said: “He was not easy early on but has grown up a lot and has improved physically. He has been going really well.”

There were no major surprises at the final declaration stage with just two horses dropping out. Rio De La Plata’s withdrawal means Godolphin’s sole representative is last year’s winner Poet’s Voice, who will be partnered by Frankie Dettori, while the Roger Charlton-trained Cityscape also misses the race.

Among the eight remaining is Frankel’s stablemate Bullet Train, who Cecil hopes will make the contest a truly run race.

“I also run Bullet Train as a pacemaker,” added Cecil on his website. “It could help me and it could also help everyone else too. Frankel could take up the running at a certain time but we haven’t decided one, two or three things yet.

“I don’t want it to be a crawl and then turn into a sprint. It will depend on how the race is run as to whether it plays to Frankel’s speed or stamina.

“Bullet Train should make it a true run race. He will not go off like hell in front but is there if we need him.”

The 5-1 joint second-favourites Immortal Verse, representing France, and the Marco Botti-trained Excelebration both stand their ground.

Frankel remains a general 1-3 shot for the Group 1 but Blue Square report overnight support for Excelebration in their ‘without Frankel’ market.

Jamie Spencer’s mount finished runner-up, four lengths behind Frankel, in the Greenham Stakes and is now the 7-4 joint-favouritewith Immortal Verse in the special market.

The going at Ascot for Champions Day is expected to be a mixture of good and good to firm according to officials.

The track avoided any of the drizzle forecast for Thursday when clerk of the course Chris Stickels described the going on both courses as good.

No further rain is expected and Stickels said on Thursday evening: “It’s likely to be a mixture of good, good to firm on both courses.

“We’ve had no drizzle in fact it’s brightened up into a pleasant day and the breeze has died down. We are forecast bright and sunny weather.”

RECORD FIELD FOR CANADIAN INTERNATIONAL AT WOODBINE

A record field of 16 horses will go to the post Sunday in the $1.5 million, Grade 1 Pattison Canadian International, the richest day of the thoroughbred racing season in Canada.

In addition to the mile and one-half Pattison, Canada’s richest horse race, two other turf stakes will highlight the undercard – the $1 million, Grade 1 E.P. Taylor, at one mile and one-quarter for fillies and mares, and the six furlong, $500,000 Grade 1 Nearctic, for three-year-olds and upward.

All three stakes are also Breeders’ Cup ‘Win and You’re In’ races, meaning the winners earn all-expenses paid berths into their respective Breeders’ Cup contests, November 4 and 5 at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky

Post time for the 74th edition of the International is 5:42 pm ET.  The Score will provide special two-hour live coverage across Canada of the racing extravaganza from Woodbine from 4:00 pm – 6:00 pm ET.    This marks the ninth year that Pattison Outdoor, Canada’s largest outdoor advertising company, has sponsored Woodbine’s turf classic, which rewards the winner with $900,000.

Former NBA great and recent Hall of Fame inductee Dennis Rodman will be the guest drawmaster on Thursday when the post positions will be determined.

The ultra-competitive field includes the Pattison defending champion Joshua Tree, the second and third place finishers from last year, Mores Wells and Redwood, respectively, and at least three other highly-regarded Europeans – dual Group 1 winner Treasure Beach, along with Quest For Peace and Arctic Cosmos, one-two finishers in the recent Group 3 Cumberland Lodge Stakes at Ascot.

The field also includes four-year-old filly Sarah Lynx, as she attempts to become just the sixth female, and first since Infamy in 1988, to win the International.   Overall, nine of the 16 starters are from Europe, one is from the United States, while the remaining six are locally-based.   All horses carry 126 pounds, except three-year-olds Celtic Conviction, Quest For Peace and Treasure Beach at 119 and Sarah Lynx at 123.  The previous record of 15 horses went postward in the 1988 and 1995 renewals of the International.

Juddmonte Farms’ homebred Redwood, trained by Charles Hills, is the field’s leading money winner with over $2.3 million.    He’s won four of 15 career starts, including last year’s Group 1 Northern Dancer at Woodbine.  This year, he’s been second in the Grade 1 Dubai Sheema Classic in March at Meydan and runner-up in the Group 2 Princess of Wales’s in July at Newmarket but comes into the International off a fourth place finish in the Group 3 Glorious Stakes in late July at Goodwood.

The five-year-old British-bred son of two-time Breeders’ Cup Turf winner High Chaparral will be ridden once again by Michael Hills.  A victory would also give Juddmonte a record fourth International win, following Champs Elysees in 2009, stakes record-holder Raintrap in 1994 and French Glory in 1990.

When Joshua Tree sprung a mild International surprise last year at 9-2, he was trained by Aidan O’Brien.  However, early this year, the four-year-old was purchased by K.K. Al Nabooda and R. A. Albahou and was campaigned in Qatar, before being sent to trainer Marco Botti’s stable in Newmarket this summer.

To be ridden by Adam Kirby, the four-year-old Irish-bred son of Montjeu, a winner in three of nine lifetime outings, with earnings of over $1.4 million, has started twice under Botti’s care, and most recently was third to Danedream in the Group 1 Grosser Preis von Baden on September 4.  Danedream, a three-year-old filly, went on to crush an illustrious Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe field two weeks ago at Longchamp, Paris.

Trainer Aidan O’Brien, who seeks a record-tying third International win (which would tie him with Pete McCann, Horatio Luro and Maurice Zilber), after winning with Ballingarry in 2002 and Joshua Tree last year, is sending British-bred Treasure Beach, one of three sons of champion Galileo in the field.

Jockey Colm O’Donoghue, who was aboard for Joshua Tree’s victory last year, will partner Treasure Beach, who has enjoyed a banner campaign this season, winning two Group 1’s – the Irish Derby at The Curragh and the Secretariat at Arlington Park for owners Derrick Smith, Mrs. John Magnier and Michael Tabor.   The $1.8 million earner was also a close second in the Epsom (English) Derby, but enters off a 14th place finish in the Prix d’Arc de Triomphe.  He’ll try to become the 14th three-year-old to win, the latest being Joshua Tree in 2010.

Trainer Luca Cumani, who won the International in 1988 with Infamy, the last filly to do so, will be represented by Quest For Peace, a three-year-old son of Galileo who enters off a two-length victory in the Cumberland Lodge, October 1 at Ascot, his third consecutive victory.  Now owned by OTI Racing, an Australian syndicate, Quest For Peace will be ridden by Kieren Fallon, who has twice finished second in the International – with Simonas in 2004 and with Fruits of Love in 1999.

Arctic Cosmos, owned by Rachel Hood and Robin Geffen and trained by John Gosden, was second to Quest For Peace in the Cumberland Lodge in his only start of the year.  The four-year-old Kentucky-bred son of North Light spent the last 12 months recovering from a leg injury suffered just before he was supposed to ship to Woodbine to contest last year’s International, after winning the Group 1 English St. Leger.  He’ll be ridden by William Buick.

Catherine O’Flynn’s Mores Wells, a British-bred seven-year-old son of the legendary Sadler’s Wells, was a troubled second to Joshua Tree in last year’s International, falling a head short at 20-1.  Now trained by Mikel Delzangles, the eight-time winner in 39 starts and over $1.2 million will be ridden again by Sebastien Maillot.

Irish-bred Sarah Lynx, a four-year-old daughter of champion Montjeu, was most recently fourth to Galikova in the Group 1 Prix Vermeille September 11 at Longchamp, for trainer John Hammond and owner Mrs. Robert Ehrnhooth.  She’ll be ridden by top French jockey Christophe Soumillon, who won last year’s E.P. Taylor aboard Reggane.

Trainer Herman Brown will send out Bronze Cannon and Mikhail Glinka for owner Ramzan Kadyrov, the president of Chechen Republic.   Six-year-old Kentucky-bred Bronze Cannon, a dual Group 2 winner, will be ridden by Tom Queally, the regular pilot of England’s unbeaten champion miler Frankel, while four-year-old Mikhail Glinka, another Irish-bred Galileo colt, will be handled by Bernard Fayd’Herbe.

The lone U.S. representative is Rahystrada, winner of the Grade 3 mile and one-half Kentucky Cup at Kentucky Downs on September 10 for trainer Byron Hughes and owner Robert Courtney.   The seven-year-old gelded son of Rahy will be ridden by Julien Leparoux.

The local contingent consists of Simmard, Musketier, Laureate Conductor, Celtic Conviction, Kara’s Orientation and Miami Deco.  Hall of Fame trainer Roger Attfield will saddle Simmard, most recently second, a neck behind Wigmore Hall in the Northern Dancer, and multiple stakes winner Musketier, owned by Stella Perdomo, as he tries for his first International win in a decorated career.   Attfield has been second on three occasions – with Spice Route in 2008, with Kinghaven Farms’ Alywow in 1994 and Steady Power in 1989.

The German-bred nine-year-old Musketier, with John Velazquez up, would become the oldest horse to win the race, eclipsing eight-year-old Collier Hill, who won the 2006 renewal.   Six-year-old Kentucky-bred Simmard, also co-owned by Attfield and William Werner, will be ridden by Patrick Husbands, who finished second in the 2000 International aboard Williams News, a nose behind Mutafaweq.

Celtic Conviction will try to become the sixth Canadian-bred to win the International, the last being Thornfield in 1999.   Last year’s winner of the Cup and Saucer will be ridden by Emile Ramsammy for trainer Mike Doyle and co-owner Dura Racing.

Bear Stables’ Laureate Conductor, trained by Mike DePaulo and ridden by Luis Contreras, was most recently fourth to Wigmore Hall in the Northern Dancer, while Kara’s Orientation, co-owned by Max Berketa and Pinnacle Racing, won the Grade 2, mile and one-quarter Sky Classic August 21 for trainer Steven Chircop, then was 11th to Turallure in the Ricoh Woodbine Mile last month.  Joel Rosario rides.  Another Canadian-bred Miami Deco, trained by Brian Lynch for Jim and Susan Hill, won last year’s Breeders’ Stakes at 65-1, was most recently third to Rahystrada in the Kentucky Cup and will be ridden by Corey Nakatani, who won the 2005 International aboard Relaxed Gesture.

Since 1958, U.S.-breds have captured 27 editions, followed by Irish-breds (10) and British-breds (seven).

The stakes record for the mile and one-half over the E.P. Taylor Turf Course is 2:25 3/5 seconds, set by Juddmonte Farms’ Raintrap in 1994.  The largest winning margin still belongs to the incomparable Secretariat, when ‘Big Red’ coasted home by six and one-half lengths in his farewell appearance in 1973. He is also the shortest-priced winner in history, paying $2.40.  Favourites have won the International 21 of 53 times (39.6%) since 1958, the last to do so being Champs Elysees, at 5-2 in 2009, and before him, Sulamani, the 4-5 choice in 2004.

The Grade 1, $1 million E.P. Taylor Stakes, presented by Fly Emirates, will go postward at 4:35 pm and has drawn a field of 11, headed by France’s Dream Peace and Adventure Seeker.  The Grade 1, $500,000 Nearctic Stakes, at 2:59 pm ET pm, also attracted 13 hopefuls, including England’s Bated Breath and 2008 Canadian Horse of the Year Fatal Bullet.