Horse Racing: Frankel is the special one

Unbeaten Frankel lived up to the hype and strengthened at the head of the betting for next year's 2,000 Guineas and Epsom Derby after another scintillating victory yesterday.

Henry Cecil's exciting two-year-old provided a clear-cut winner of the Group One Dewhurst Stakes over seven furlongs on Champions Day at Newmarket. Now unbeaten in four starts, Frankel is 4-5 with bookmakers William Hill for the 2,000 Guineas back at Newmarket in May and a 3-1 chance for the Derby a month later.

"He's a superstar. He's something very special," said jockey Tom Queally after the 4-6 favourite had beaten Irish raider Roderic O'Connor by two-and-a-quarter lengths.

Henry Cecil had made no secret of the regard in which he held the Galileo colt and he justified those expectations as the 4-6 market leader.

Pace-setter Roderic O'Connor ran a big race to claim second with Glor Na Mara third, but both Dream Ahead and Saamidd proved disappointing.

Johnny Murtagh was keen to get to the front aboard Roderic O'Connor and he set a fair pace as Tom Queally struggled to get Frankel to settle towards the back of the six-runner field. Saamidd was also racing keenly while Dream Ahead sat on their heels in last in the seven-furlong contest.

Roderic O'Connor was still in front two furlongs out but the distress signals were already out for Saamidd while Frankel was just starting to motor down the middle of the track.

Queally gave him the signal inside the distance and he produced an excellent turn of foot to assume control and quickly pull two and a quarter lengths clear. Roderic O'Connor kept on gamely for the runner-up prize but Dream Ahead had no reply and Saamidd was well out of the frame. Queally said: "It's nice to have done it when it mattered. He's done it well and he's very special. He got a bit of a bump on leaving the stalls and that set him alight, but he quickened up well and put the race to bed. He wandered a bit off a true line on the ground, but we'll forgive him that!"

Cecil added: "He'd been relaxing well at home but that bump set him alight. In his work he is very relaxed, but when you get a nasty bump like that it makes a difference. But he won very well and he never had to hit him. It was lovely and I'm very lucky to have him."

Frankel's victory was the start of a quickfire double for Cecil and Queally after Twice Over landed the Group One Champion Stakes for the second successive year. "Henry gets them there 100 per cent. I just have to steer them," said Queally.

Cecil said five-year-old Twice Over, who has earned nearly 1.9 million from his racing career, would now have a rest before having another tilt at next year's $10 million Dubai World Cup, the world's richest race.Twice Over was tenth behind Gloria De Campeao at Meydan in March.

Twice Over was sent off the 7-2 second-favourite and the result barely looked in doubt after he kicked for home, with Vision D'Etat back in second and long-time leader Debussy third.

Debussy set the early pace but William Buick took the field along at a sedate rate, which did not help Godolphin's Poet's Voice who refused to settle at all in second.

However, there was no reply to Cecil's charge who came home a length and three-quarters clear with a further three-quarters of a length back to Debussy.

Queally said: "Henry gets them here 100 per cent right and my job is easy. It's worked out today, it's been amazing. It's a magnificent day."