Frankel wins, Goldikova loses at Royal Ascot

ASCOT, England (AP) - Frankel remained unbeaten with a victory in the St. James's Palace Stakes, while three-time Breeders' Cup Mile champion Goldikova was beaten by Canford Cliffs in the Queen Anne Stakes on Tuesday, opening day at Royal Ascot.

With Queen Elizabeth II in attendance, Frankel took the lead around the final turn and held off Zoffany by three-quarters of a length for the colt's seventh victory. Excelebration was third.

Frankel is trained by Henry Cecil, who was awarded knighthood on Saturday by the queen.

The win at the 300-year-old racecourse came a few months after the 3-year-old colt's more emphatic six-length victory in the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket.

``The plan was to kick on rounding the bend as he had done in the Royal Lodge last year, but now he's getting wiser and he thought he'd done enough, rather like in the Guineas,'' Cecil said after receiving congratulations from Prince Charles and his wife Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall.

Added jockey Tom Queally: ``I think he's starting to know he's a good horse now. Yes, he only won by three-quarters of a length, but nothing's finished three-quarters of a length in front of him yet.''

The winning time for the mile race was 1:39.24.

In the opening race, Canford Cliffs outdueled defending champion Goldikova in the $406,928 Queen Anne for his fifth consecutive victory.

Goldikova was the slight favorite over Canford Cliffs, who was ridden by Richard Hughes. Goldikova, with Olivier Peslier aboard, had the lead entering the final furlong before Canford Cliffs moved up to challenge and won by a length. The final time for the mile was 1:38.38.

Queen Elizabeth II, who has been to every Ascot meeting since 1945, arrived with the royal family in their traditional carriage procession around the course.