Herman Hesse hasn't quite lived up to expectation on two starts to date. Lady Bamford's son of Frankel, out of a four-time winning mare, heads to Goodwood (2:00) and one of the favourites to take the spoils. Stepping up to 1m 1f197y on soft going could be the key to success.
Lady Bamford has owned a number of exceptional horses including Epsom Oaks victor Sariska. Not only is she the wife of JCB CEO, Sir Anthony Bamford, but she is also an organic food pioneer and author.
John Gosden's bay colt has been fancied in the betting on both starts when racing at Yarmouth and Sandown, respectively. Racing over 7f/1m this attractive colt has competed against quality opposition but been found out by an insufficient trip. I can imagine connections have been surprised Herman Hesse hasn't won on these formative starts and have been waiting for this race and expecting to see a marked improvement over this stiffer test.
Racing on soft going will definitely help and there should be no excuses today over this extended trip.
If the betting is to be believed this Maiden Stakes is out of five horses, with horses priced 33/1 bar the quintet.
The major opponent looks to be Khalifa Sat, trained by Andrew Balding, who finished a respectable 6th on debut.
I'm sure Herman Hesse will run a sound race on this third start, but there are still a few ifs and buts.
Good luck to connections.
Michael Bell is always a two-year-old trainer worth noting.
This season the juveniles have been Maxi Boy, Applecross & Zmiles. It will be interesting to see how a couple of those go at Royal Ascot 2019.
I'm not sure if Michael Bell has previously trained any Frankel-sired two-year-olds but it is with great joy we reveal Fitzroy House has at least two Frankel offspring this season.
Festive Love is a chestnut filly sired by Frankel out of the dam Eva's Request in the ownership of Lady Bamford, who also has Herman Hesse who is trained this season with John Gosden. This colt made his debut at Great Yarmouth when priced 3/1 when finishing sixth. A very attractive horse who will be winning this season.
Festive Love is worth watching this season.
Interesting that the other Bell-Frankel two-year-old is in the ownership of The Queen. This bay colt is named Formality out of the dam Silver Mirage, who won on her final start in the same ownership.
You can take a look at other Frankel offspring in training this 2019 season.
The Frankel 2yos for 2019 are hotting up.
I really enjoy looking at the Frankel Progeny Entries detailed on the Racing Post. I usually take a quick look to see the week ahead and make a note of any juveniles declared to make their racecourse bow.
Readers will know that Frankel Blog is all about the two-year-old (2yo) strings for trainers big and small. This season we have seen a couple of Frankel's make their debut for Mark Johnston who trains at Kingsley House, Middleham, Leyburn, North Yorkshire.
The first colt being Fred, who disappointed on debut, then ran a storming race at Leicester to win by a nose. This son of Frankel is on the small side but doesn't lack for pace and even considered for the Superlative Stakes (Group 2).
More recently, we saw Nick Bradley Racing field a Frankel filly called Frankel's Storm who was fancied to go well on debut at Newmarket. She finished 7th although only beaten just over four lengths and wasn't favoured by running down the middle of the course.
Related story: Frankel's Storm Ready to Roll for Mark Johnston
We mentioned in that day's post Johnston has four Frankel two-year-old in his string. At that time this son of Frankel was unnamed but now we can reveal his name is Unresolved, a bay colt, born on April 7th, 2017.
The mare, Lamar, was in training with James Tate in the same silks of Saif Ali. She was a durable daughter of Cape Cross racing 25 times in her career, achieving 6 wins including a Listed class success. An all-time Official Rating of 106 details a talented horse which ran up to 1m 2f. Total earning of £153,415.
Unresolved was sold at the sales for £85,000, which is incredibly cheap considering the stallion fee for Frankel is £175,000.
Taking a look at the entries this colt has been entered at the five-day declaration stages for the following 2yo races:
Saturday 25th July - 1:45 Sandown Martin Densham Memorial EBF Stakes (Plus 10 Race) 7f.
Another Frankel 2yo has an entry for this race. Herman Hesse, trained by John Gosden in the ownership of Lady Bamford.
Click to see the races Unresolved has entries
Good luck to connections.
Related story: Herman Hesse to Write Poetic Prose for Gosden at Yarmouth
We all know Frankel was an exceptional racehorse. Few thoroughbreds achieve the dizzy heights of racing at the highest level and remain unbeaten. Added to this son of Galileo's success is the story of a remarkable horse trainer in Sir Henry Cecil. A man who, personally, saw the highs and lows of a training career. To battle an illness, which took his life, but stride by stride a fitting epitaph of man and horse.
We have seen many remarkable successes from this exceptional racehorse and sire.
But what will 2019 hold for the potential stars of this two-year-old season?
Throughout this formative season, I will update the most notable Frankel two-year-olds (2yos) of this 2019 season.
Worthy of note:
Herman Hesse - John Gosden
This good-looking son of Frankel was well backed on debut at Great Yarmouth but never really figured giving the impression he needed the run. This homebred from Lady Bamford wasn't given a hard race and sure to improve on his second start. Herman Hesse is a lovely physical specimen. Definitely, a horse to keep on side and I suspect will go well take some beating next time out.
Heaven Forfend - Sir Michael Stoute
Quite unusual to see Sir Michael Stoute have an early two-year-old (2yo). It made me consider Royal Ascot is on the cards. Time will tell if that is the case. However, this son of Frankel ran a sterling race on debut at Newbury. Racing in the familiar silks of Cheveley Park Stud, this homebred is out of a six-times winning mare [Heaven Scent] who was similarly owned and trained. A durable racehorse who raced 27 times, winning at Group 3 and placed at Group 1. Heaven Forfend wasn't best served by a wide draw at Newbury, which saw his run on from some way off the pace. He did little wrong finishing runner-up to John Gosden's Light Angel. I can see Heaven Forfend running in the next couple of weeks and expect a bold show. Whether that is at Royal Ascot or an alternative venue, only time will tell.
Achievements:
Our recent post noted John Gosden's Frankel colt Hernam Hesse, who made his debut at Great Yarmouth. By all accounts, it looked a strong race with Charlie Appleby's Boccaccio returning a comfortable winner while all those which hit the frame are worthy of interest in preceding weeks.
Herman Hesse was well backed but needed the run and will be much better next time out. A lovely-looking colt who should be tasting victory sooner than later.
Back to proceedings. Shammah is a daughter of Frankel, who made her debut at Salisbury when starting at odds of 6/1. This compact bay filly is out of a winning French mare.
Shammah ran well on her first start behind Andrew Balding's Symbolize who could well be heading to Royal Ascot. When winning the Simon & Nerys Dutfield Memorial Stakes (Plus 10 Race).
Readers may remember that Nerys Dutfield held a trainer's licence. The couple owned Axminster Carpets. Mr Dutfield died in April 2016, while his wife sadly passed away on July 20th (2016), after battling cancer. The couple is survived by their eight children.
Shammah holds three entries from the 3rd - 5th June at Lingfield (6f), Nottingham (5f) & Kempton (6f) respectively.
Related post: Frankel Watch 2019: Shammah Shines at Windsor for Richard Hannon
Interesting to note that John Gosden has a Frankel two-year-old (2yo) entered to run at Great Yarmouth on Thursday 30th May 2019.
This February foal, a bay colt, is a homebred son of Frankel in the ownership of Lady Bamford. For those who have heard of Lady Bamford - a high-profile owner of racehorses - with many and varied trainers, she is a British business person who founded the Daylesford Organic Farmshops chain and Bamford brand of women's products. Her spouse is Lord Anthony Bamford who is the chairman of JCB. He is estimated to be worth £3.1 billion.
Herman Hesse is out of a five-times winning mare who won a Group 2 race at Deauville, France. The mare started her career over 71/2f but raced predominantly over 8 - 10 furlongs in an 18-race career, which saw her finish runner-up on her final start at Saratoga, USA, when beaten by a head at Grade 1 at the age of five. She achieved total prize money of £511,865.
Herman Hesse was a German-born poet, novelist and painter. Born in 1877, in 1946 he received the Nobel Prize for Literature. His work related to the search for authenticity, self-knowledge and spirituality.
Herman Hess has been entered to run at Great Yarmouth (2:50) in the 7f (7f3y) British Stallion Studs EBF Novice Stakes (Class 5) (2yo).
Lady Bamford has many horses in trainer with handlers including John Gosden, Sir Mark Prescott, Charles Hills, Michael Bell & Richard Hannon.
One of her best horses was Wings Of Desire, trained by John Gosden, who raced at the highest standard when competing just eight times at two and three. He finished fourth in the Epsom Derby (2016).
Probably her greatest success was breeding and ownership of Sariska, trained by Michael Bell winner of the English and Irish Oaks in an 11 race career, achieving five wins and total prize winnings of $1,113,771.
John Gosden has at least four Frankel two-year-olds at Carehaven Stables, Newmarket. One of those is named Majestic Noor, an April foal, and a bay filly out of the mare Nouriya, in the ownership of Mr Saleh Al Homaizi & Mr Imad Al Sagar. Who, intriguingly, own another Frankel prospect named Amtiyaz, who is in training with Ilka Gansera-Leveque.
Very intriguing.
