[Riot]

http://www.timeform.com/show_article.asp?num=3185

Timeform's View - Simon Rowlands' Blog: Frankel, The Superequine

Excerpt:

Sectional timing gives every encouragement. While there were no spectacular sub-11-second furlongs in evidence, Frankel finished the race notably strongly, covering the last two furlongs in 23.55 seconds and in 103.4% of his average race speed while his nearest rivals ran much nearer to 100%.

The reason why Frankel did not (quite) run sub-11-second furlongs is simple. The race itself was run at a sound pace, unlike some of his previous ones, and tested stamina more than raw speed.

The overall time of 2 min 06.59 sec was 1.30 seconds outside the course record set by Sea The Stars in this race in 2009. But, crucially, all the times were slower in 2012 than for the equivalent races three years earlier. Once you adjust for conditions, including wind, Frankel's performance against the clock emerges comfortably the better.

Indeed, Frankel's Timeform timefigure comes out at 136, which is the equal of his timefigure in the 2000 Guineas last year and means that he has the two best time-based ratings by any horse this century.

The arguments about whether Frankel is better than Sea-Bird (145 in 1965) or Brigadier Gerard (144 in 1972) are unlikely to go away, even now, but it is worth remembering that not one horse surpassed 140 in the years after Brigadier Gerard retired and before Frankel burst onto the scene. Frankel has now surpassed that mark six times in a row once ease of victory is allowed for.