EXCEL AIMING FOR TOP-LEVEL TRIUMPH

Marco Botti is keen for Excelebration to add a Group One victory to his CV before letting him renew rivalries with unbeaten colt Frankel.

Excelebration has won two of his four starts this season, running away with the German 2000 Guineas and beating a clutch of smart older horses in Saturday's Hungerford Stakes at Newbury.

His defeats in the Greenham Stakes and in the St James's Palace Stakes have both come at the hands of Sir Henry Cecil's wonder horse.

Botti said: "I'm really pleased with how he has come out of the race. He seems very well, he's bouncing and he looks good.

"We were obviously quite confident he could run a big race at Newbury, but the manner in which he won was very impressive.

"I said he had strengthened up a lot since Ascot and that looked to be the case on Saturday. I am very happy with him.

"We will stick to the original plan and go for the Prix du Moulin at Longchamp (September 11) next.

"It would be nice for him to win a Group One race and I am sure he is more than capable of doing that.

"If we can avoid Frankel and win the Group One, then we can then take him on again at Ascot in the QEII. If we could finish second to Frankel again, we would be very happy as it is a very prestigious race."

Botti also had news of Fanunalter, who was fifth in the Sovereign Stakes at Salisbury last week.

"He was very unlucky again and unfortunately it is the second successive year it has happened in that race," Botti added.

"He had a wall of horses in front of him and Adam (Kirby) said he tried to go through a gap three times, but the gap just shut in front of him.

"He didn't have anywhere to go so then he switched him outside and it was too late to catch the first few horses.

"It's a pity because he's still in good nick and he would have finished very close. Whether he would have won or not, I don't know, but he was still full of running and still cruising on the bridle.

"He's in the Celebration Mile but he's unlikely to run there. There is the option of running him in Canada, but I need to talk to the owners."

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