Frankel's opposition have their say Trainer Corine Barande-Barbe believes Cirrus Des Aigles may still be improving ahead of Saturday's Qipco Champion Stakes at Ascot, even though he is now a six-year-old. She said: "Every race he has run in, he always seems to take one step up and he always seems to look his best when he tries something new. "We ran him over a mile and a quarter in last year's Champion Stakes and we thought that was him at his best. "Then we ran him over a mile and a half in Dubai, and it looked like that might be his best. "Last year he wasn't even a Group One winner before the Champion Stakes. He won and he showed that the better the field, the better he is. "Maybe he's still improving. On Saturday it could be the best in the world over a mile to middle distances against the best over 10 furlongs to a mile and a half. "Whatever happens, it will be a great experience and we will enjoy it. "If he wins, I will be pleased, but I won't be surprised. "My horse has already been beaten and I know his level of ability. "I'm not scared of Frankel." Jockey William Buick is well aware of the task facing Nathaniel, who won the Coral-Eclipse at Sandown in July but was ruled out of the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe after spiking a temperature, in Saturday's Qipco Champion Stakes at Ascot. "Nathaniel is a very good racehorse. He's had a fantastic season, and, like Frankel, will be having his last race on Saturday," said Buick. "I'm trying to win. I'm not going out there to finish second but I'm going up against the best racehorse that people say they have ever seen. "He's fighting for second, but we're not going into the race to be second. "Obviously it's a big weekend and it's Frankel's last run, but it's a big weekend for Nathaniel as well because it's his last run. "It was unfortunate that he missed the Arc, but he's fit and ready. He's still the horse that got closest to Frankel so we'll see if we can get even closer. "He's an amazing mover, he floats up the gallops and covers so much ground. "This year he has really excelled as a racehorse. He's shown his versatility as well and it would be very nice to finish off on a high. "He's goes on all ground - he won his maiden on good to firm - he's very versatile." One of the unknown contenders to many British racegoers is the German Derby winner Pastorius, whose trainer, Mario Hofer, said: "Frankel is in another world compared to our horse and I would be delighted if we made the first three. "I am very happy with Pastorius and, without risk, there is no reward."
