A relieved Sir Henry Cecil is still hopeful his unbeaten champ Frankel will run in the Group 1 £175,000 Lockinge Stakes at Newbury on May 19 after being cleared of any major tendon injury.
Frankel will resume normal work after scans came up clear on his off fore leg after sustaining a knock while working at Newmarket last week.
The stable weren’t concerned initially, but fears grew that the injury might be more serious than first thought and there was even talk of retirement for the world’s highest ranked racehorse.
“He obviously hit his tendon quite badly and there was a lot of haemorrhaging. I was always very hopeful as it didn’t feel like a normal tendon injury, but you never know,” Cecil told Racing UK.
“He’s got a tremendously long stride and he went on to the grass on Racecourse Side for the first time and I think he hit his front leg with his back leg on the tendon.”
“He was scanned this morning very thoroughly and everything with his tendon is fine. I’ve had him walking and trotting, everything seems to have settled down, we’ll resume work and we’ll feel our way.”
Cecil is still hopeful to get Frankel to Newbury and said the four year will resume cantering this weekend after missing over a week’s work.
“I’d like to make Newbury if possible because it’s a long time with a horse like that to hang around until (Royal) Ascot. Then you’ll get hardened horses who’ve had a race or two,” he said.
England’s legendary trainer said that Khalid Abdullah, who owns the unbeaten super star, told him not to worry and that he had already received enormous satisfaction from Frankel’s nine wins so far.
“The Prince was fantastic and said ‘I’ve had so much fun out of that horse and he’s done more than I could ever have expected, so don’t worry.’ But I said I am worried because I think he could be a better horse this year and we need him.”
Frankel, who hasn’t raced since winning the Group 1 £1,000,000 Queen Elizabeth 11 Stakes (1609m) at Ascot last October is rated number one in the world with a Timeform rating of 143, is unbeaten from nine starts including four Group ones.
