By Daithi Harvey
Charlie Appleby is hoping to get the Moët and Chandon July Festival at Newmarket off to the best possible start for team Godolphin next week when he aims the progressive Frontiersman (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) at the opening day feature, the G2 Princess Of Wales's Arqana Racing Club S. on Thursday. Much is expected from Frontiersman, being a son of the brilliant seven-time Group/Grade 1 winner Ouija Board (GB) (Cape Cross {Ire}) and a half-brother to dual Derby winner Australia (GB) (Galileo {Ire}) so it was slightly disappointing to see him well beaten on his first start outside handicap company in a Group 3 at Newbury last autumn. The colt has obviously thrived from age three to four however and after easily winning a competitive handicap at Newmarket in May Appleby pitched him straight into Group 1 company for the Investec Coronation Cup at Epsom where he beat all bar Highland Reel (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). Having lived up to his birthright of being a graded stakes performer Appleby is keen to make the next step and make Frontiersman a graded stakes winner. “Frontiersman is set to be my runner in the Princess Of Wales's Arqana Racing Club Stakes. He came out of the Coronation Cup well and we intended to run him in the Hardwicke Stakes, only for him to scope dirty and there was then not quite enough time to get him ready for Ascot. But he did a nice piece of work last Saturday and, provided he maintains a clean bill of health, it's all systems go for Newmarket. A repeat of his Coronation Cup run should put him bang in contention,” the trainer said on Tuesday.
Appleby has always been convinced of Frontiersman's talent and the fact that he persuaded Sheikh Mohammed to supplement him for the Coronation Cup is testament to this. Reflecting on that Epsom run the trainer said, “He was stepping up from a handicap to a Group 1 in the Coronation so for sure that was a career best for him. We didn't run him there on a whim – he's regally bred and had been showing us all the right signs at home – and his performance justified the decision to supplement him.” Appleby is as confident as one could be in the lead up to a competitive contest like this but he feels everything suggests a big run is imminent from the colt in the mile and a half contest. “Good ground would be perfect for him, he wouldn't want it testing, but anything quicker should be no problem. And he's already won on the Rowley Mile so I am not worried about the track,” he concluded.
Not a subscriber? Click here to sign up for the daily PDF or alerts.
