The Frankel factor is going to be a drawcard for the Strawberry Hill Stud Dispersal today and he posted a new two year-old stakes-winner overnight with the Juddmonte Farms homebred colt Task Force taking out the Listed Ripon Champion 2YO Trophy (6f).
Trained by Ralph Beckett, he won easily on debut at Salisbury last month and then stepped up to Black Type company for another impressive win.
Ridden by Rossa Ryan, Task Force was still a little green but forged clear to win by more than a length over his stablemate Matters Most and holds entries for upcoming Group races including the G1 Middle Park Stakes (6f).
“We like the second (Matters Most), he appears to be improving, and Task Force was green on the undulations but he still got it done. So that's encouraging. We won't be afraid to roll the dice. He had to be pretty good to do that today as I'm not sure that's his ground either,” said Ralph Beckett.
“He's in the Middle Park and I wouldn't be convinced about seven furlongs for the time being, we might stick at six.”
Task Force is a three-quarter brother to stakes-winner Elegant Verse and is the third winner from Champion 2YO Filly and triple Group I winner Special Duty, a Hennessy mare from the family of Group I winners Sightseek and Tates Creek.
Task Force is the 127th stakes-winner for Frankel and is his 32nd this year alone.
