An amazing year of Flat racing has drawn to a close and with the second edition of the QIPCO British Champions Series having climaxed at Ascot last month, our expert panel has come back with the three names to go forward for the “Horse of the Series” vote.
Michael Owen, Cornelius Lysaght, Lee Mottershead, Alex Hammond and Nick Luck not surprisingly all had one horse at the top of their list. There can be no doubt as to who will win the poll, but what percentage of the vote will Frankel claim?
Stoke City and former England striker, Michael Owen, said of the Sir Henry Cecil-trained superstar: “Heads into retirement with his unbeaten record intact, after heading off Cirrus des Aigles in a thrilling Champion Stakes. One of the greats."
Frankel’s impact on the Series cannot be under-estimated. No other horse has won more than two Series races since its inception – Frankel has won nine, four last year and five this season.
His two rivals in the poll are both trained by Aidan O’Brien.
First up is Excelebration, who stepped out of Frankel’s shadow to blow the opposition away in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes sponsored by QIPCO, earning himself a rating that confirms him as the second best miler in the world after Frankel.
BBC Radio’s Cornelius Lysaght said: "Excelebration showed us Frankel's brilliant worth when putting in his own top notch, Group One performance in the QEII."
Frankel’s second rival is Camelot, who came so agonisingly close to winning the elusive Triple Crown.
Sky Sports presenter, Alex Hammond, said: "Camelot is another Aidan O'Brien star. He deserves to be in the top three given his achievements this season."
The Racing Post’s Lee Mottershead summed up the voting shortlist perfectly: "Like all the races Frankel has run in this year, this one is hugely one-sided, not due to a lack of meaningful opposition but because of his own incomparable and perhaps unprecedented ability.
"Frankel is head and shoulders above all other horses and that fact that Excelebration is still clear number-two choice is a further compliment to the great one.
"Camelot deserves to come home third, not necessarily because he was the third best horse to race in the Series, but because of a fine Guineas-Derby double and a valiant assault on the Triple Crown."
Everyone who casts a vote will be automatically entered in a free prize draw to win two tickets to QIPCO British Champions Day in 2013 plus a QIPCO British Champions Series cap.
Votes can be cast at www.britishchampionsseries.com. The vote will close at 10.00am next Monday 19th November.
