Monday 20 May 2019

2YO Frankel Season Underway with Heaven Forfend & Shammah Hitting the Frame


It's been a quiet time of late. 


However, a couple of Frankel-sired two-year-olds have made their debut. 

Sir Michael Stoute unveiled his first juvenile of the season and it happened to be a bay colt sired by Frankel out of the Group-winning mare Heaven Sent, who was similarly owned and trained. Heaven Forfend, racing in the familiar silks of Cheveley Park Stud, is homebred and by what we saw on debut at Newbury a talented two-year-old. This March foal was well backed after looking weak in the market early doors. He wasn't best situated with a wide draw, which saw him a little off the pace. However, Heaven Sent moved up with purpose at the two-furlong pole and put down a real challenge. He finished second to John Gosden's Light Angel who is a fair horse, who had the advantage of a previous run. Heaven Sent will go well next time out and could well head to Royal Ascot. Did you know that Sir Michael Stoute has 10 Frankel 2yos in training this season? Click this link to see the names of these exciting juveniles

In addition, we saw Richard Hannon's Shammah make her debut at Salisbury in the Simon & Nerys Dutfield Memorial Novices Stakes over 5f. This daughter of Frankel is out of a winning mare, who raced in France. Shammah is a good-looking bay filly who showed great promise on this first outing. She put in a professional display to finish third behind Andrew Balding's Symbolize, who won by one-and-a-half lengths. I was left with the impression it was a competitive heat with the first five clear of the field. Shammah cost 230,000 guineas at the yearling sales and races in the ownership oSheikh Abdullah Almalek Alsabah.

A good start to the two-year-old Frankel 2019 season.