How does Pinatubo compare with Frankel?

Frankel, of course, retired in October, 2012, unbeaten in fourteen races, including ten at the highest, Group One level, as the highest-rated racehorse ever. However, Frankel raced just four times as a juvenile, culminating in a comfortable 2½-length victory over Roderic O’Connor in the Group One Dubai Dewhurst Stakes, for which he was awarded an official rating of 126. That was sufficient for him to end his juvenile campaign as the joint-top-rated two-year-old, alongside Dream Ahead.

By contrast, Pinatubo raced six times as a juvenile and remained unbeaten. His victories included an impressive 9-length win in the Goffs Vincent O’Brien National Stakes at the Curragh, for which he was awarded an official rating of 128, and a 2-length win in the Darley Dewhurst Stakes on his final two outings. Consequently, Pinatubo ended his juvenile campaign with the highest official rating since the 130 awarded to Celtic Swing and fully 10lb ahead of the best of his contemporaries, namely Earthlight and Kamenko.

Of course, Frankel went on to prove himself a champion at three and four years, achieving an official rating of 136 in 2011 and 140 in 2012. Pinatubo enjoyed an exceptional juvenile campaign, in which he achieved more than even Frankel, but needs to improve by 8lb or more from two to three, and 4lb or more from three to four, if he is to emulate his illustrious predecessor. That is, by no means, beyond the realms of possibility, but it remains early days for the son of Shamardal.

Which is the most valuable race run at Royal Ascot?

Royal Ascot 2020 is scheduled to take place between Tuesday, June 16 and Saturday, June 20. Obviously, the future of the Royal Meeting, horse racing and British sport, in general, depends on the implications of the coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis but, if racing is back up and running by mid-June, Royal Ascot offers no fewer than eight Group One races spread over the five days.

All eight Group One contests, naturally enough, constitute part of the British Champions’ Series, in one or other of the ‘Sprint’, ‘Mile’, ‘Middle Distance’, ‘Long Distance’ and ‘Fillies & Mares’ categories. The opening Queen Anne Stakes, which has held Group One status since 2003, is the most valuable event of the week in the ‘Mile’ category, worth £600,000 in total prize money. In the ‘Sprint’ category, the six-furlong Diamond Jubilee Stakes, which has held Group One status since 2002 and is the feature race on the fifth, and final, day, is also worth £600,000 in total prize money. The most valuable race run at Royal Ascot, though, is the Prince of Wales’s Stakes, the ‘Middle Distance’ highlight, run over a mile and a quarters and worth £750,000 in total prize money.

What happens if a jockey is unseated at, or on the way to, the start?

Under current British Horseracing Authority (BHA) rules, if a jockey is unseated, for whatever reason, before the start of a race, they may remount, provided that the course doctor and veterinary surgeon say that it is safe to do so. However, since November 2, 2009, once the field is ‘under starter’s orders’, if a jockey parts company with their horse they cannot remount to complete the race and, without exception, will be disqualified if they do. Not only that, but a jockey is also not allowed to ride their horse back to the unsaddling enclosure unless horse and jockey have, once again, been cleared by racecourse medical staff.

Of course, the rule change on remounting introduced the possibility of no finishers and, therefore, no result in a race and that is exactly what happened in a novices’ chase at Towcester on March 17, 2011. Two of the four runners fell and unseated rider, independently, at the sixth fence and one of the remaining two tried to refuse and fell at the final fence, badly hampering the other and causing him to unseat his rider. The race was voided, along with all bets upon it, and all stakes contributed by owners prior to the race were returned.

Which rank outsider finished second, at 500/1, in the Derby?

In the long, illustrious history of the Derby, which was inaugurated in 1780, three horses – Jeddah (1898), Signorinetta (1908) and Aboyeur (1913) – have won at odds of 100/1. However, the horse that came closest to becoming the longest-priced winner in the history of British racing, never mind the Derby, was Terimon in 1989. Trained by Clive Brittain and ridden by Michael Roberts, the grey son of Bustino lined up at Epsom with just a lowly maiden race win to his name and was, justifiably, sent off at 500/1 rank outsider of the twelve runners, behind 5/4 favourite Nashwan.

While ultimately no match for Nashwan, who pulled clear in the closing stages to win, easily, by 5 lengths, Terimon nevertheless belied his eye-watering starting price; he made steady late headway to deprive 3/1 second favourite Cacoethes of second place close home amd thus become the longest-priced placed horse in the history of the Epsom Classic. A colourful character, with a reputation for ’tilting at windmills’, Brittain had apparently told owner Lady Beaverbrook beforehand that Terimon would be placed.

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