Frankel fine and Camelot all set for QIPCO 2000 Guineas

Camelot, who made such a deep impression on anyone who watched him ease to victory in the Racing Post Trophy last year, is on course to open the 2012 QIPCO British Champions Series with a bang. Image courtesy of racingfotos.com.

It’s all systems go for Frankel as he builds up to his seasonal debut, with the JLT Lockinge Stakes at Newbury on Saturday 19 May still very much on the agenda, whilst Camelot is set to be the star of the show in the opening race of the 2012 QIPCO British Champions Series, the QIPCO 2000 Guineas at Newmarket on Saturday 5 May.

Last week’s follow-up scan on Frankel’s leg revealed that the injury was just superficial with no tendon damage and the world’s top-rated racehorse is now back in full training.

His trainer, Sir Henry Cecil, said: "Everything with his sheath and his tendon is fine. I’ve had him walking and trotting and everything seems to have settled down.

"I’d like to make Newbury if possible because it’s a long time with a horse like that to hang around until Ascot. I’ll feel my way but I’m hopeful. If I have to take him somewhere, I’ll take him."

Another piece of great news for British racing came yesterday when Aidan O’Brien revealed that the much vaunted Camelot will make his seasonal reappearance in the QIPCO 2000 Guineas on Newmarket’s Rowley Mile on Saturday week as long as he continues to please in his work over the coming days.

The unbeaten colt, who topped the juvenile ratings in Europe last year together with the French-trained Dabarsim, is set to start red-hot favourite for the opening race in the QIPCO British Champions Series. O’Brien may also run Power.

He also has the hot favourite for the QIPCO 1000 Guineas the following day with Maybe, who like Camelot was unbeaten last year.

O’Brien said at the Curragh yesterday: "We are working towards the 2000 Guineas with Camelot and Power.

"Maybe is our main one for the 1000 Guineas at the moment."

O’Brien said about Camelot: "We are happy with him at the moment anyway."

Most Improved, who had been second favourite for the first colt’s Classic, suffered a setback last week and had to miss his intended run in the Novae Bloodstock Insurance Craven Stakes at Newmarket, which Trumpet Major won impressively for trainer Richard Hannon.

Meanwhile the soft ground at Newbury on Saturday also prevented the highly regarded Top Offer, trained by Roger Charlton, from having a run in the Aon Greenham Stakes, which was won by Caspar Netscher.

This means that the first three in the ante-post betting for the QIPCO 2000 Guineas are all set to go to Newmarket without a run this season and it is a similar story with the fillies in the QIPCO 1000 Guineas, in which the unbeaten Godolphin pair of Discourse and Lyric Of Light, second and third favourites behind Maybe, have both been declared on course for the contest.

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