The final start of Frankel's racing career is increasingly likely to mark his first and only encounter with heavy ground, following 5mm of rain at Ascot on Wednesday night with more forecast before British Champions Day at the course on Saturday.
"At this moment, the going is soft with no heavy in the going description," Nick Smith, the track's spokesman, said on Thursday, "but we expect between 5mm and 8mm of rain [on Thursday night] so there is every chance that there will be some heavy in the description [by Friday]."
Frankel, who will be attempting to conclude an unbeaten 14-race career with victory in the QIPCO Champion Stakes, has not raced on ground any easier than good to soft since his debut as a two-year-old in August 2010, on soft ground at Newmarket. On that occasion, he finished just half a length in front of Nathaniel, the subsequent King George and Eclipse Stakes winner, who will be one of five opponents lining up against him on Saturday.
Cirrus Des Aigles, the second-favourite for the Champion Stakes, is proven on heavy ground but Tom Queally, Frankel's jockey, said here that he feels Frankel will cope with the conditions too. "I don't think soft would be a problem for him," the rider said. "I was quite taken even on his debut with the way he handled the conditions. I was able to bring him up through the gears and sit and keep his momentum going on the soft conditions. Heavy ground may be a different story, but if it's testing I can't see that being a major concern."
Sir Henry Cecil, Frankel's trainer, was unable to attend a press conference at which the final entries for Saturday's race were published, but in a statement he expressed doubts about Frankel's ability to show his best form on heavy ground.
"I am pretty confident he will be fine in soft ground," Cecil said, "but if it's heavy, we are in no man's land. He has never encountered it and, with his action and turn of foot, I cannot be sure that he would appreciate it."
Cecil said that Frankel has been "an inspiration" during his long battle against stomach cancer, with which he was diagnosed in 2006.
"I am so lucky to have been allocated Frankel to train," Cecil said. "He has been an inspiration and a challenge, which I really needed so badly.
"Through my illness, I feel that the help from my wife Jane and the determination to be there for Frankel has helped me so much to get through the season."
Saturday's is widely expected to be Frankel's final competitive appearance, but Teddy Grimthorpe, racing manager to Prince Khalid Abdulla, the colt's owner, could not confirm that he will retire to take up stud duties at the end of the season.
"It is entirely Prince Khalid's decision and he will make it in his own good time," Grimthorpe said. "He knows that this is a very public horse and he shares the horse with the public, but this decision is one that he wants to take when he's ready."
Paul Nicholls, the trainer of Kauto Star, said on Thursday that he is "not as keen as I was" to extend his outstanding chaser's career into another season. "Last year I was keen to run him, I thought he could win another one or two," Nicholls told Racing UK at Wincanton. "I'm not saying he couldn't win another race, but I'm not as keen as I was.
"He's achieved so much, you just think, what else can he do? Is it worth taking any chances with him? I need to talk to Clive [Smith, Kauto Star's owner] and we'll make a decision. At the end of the day, Clive owns him, and we'll get together and make a decision."
Kieren Fox has been banned from riding for three months by the British Horseracing Authority after he was found to have committed a serious breach of the rules on the use of the whip for the fourth time in just six months. Fox was referred to the BHA's disciplinary panel for his ride on Salient in a handicap at Brighton on 9 October. He volunteered to undergo a one-day remedial training course on whip use at the British Racing School following his third such offence, on Barnet Fair at Ascot on 28 July, and will be required to do so again as part of his latest penalty.