Horse racing: Frankel storms to win

Henry Cecil's Frankel produced a barely believable performance as he made every yard of the running in the Qipco 2000 Guineas at Newmarket under Tom Queally.

An unbeaten juvenile campaign and a ready comeback victory in Newbury's Greenham Stakes led to the son of Galileo being sent off at 1-2 for the season's first Classic.

Rerouted was due to be deployed in a pace-making role, but he just could not keep up as Frankel quickly opened up a huge advantage over the rest of the field. He was miles clear at the halfway stage and it seemed he would not be able to keep up such a ferocious gallop.

But the rest could not get near him and he passed the post with a stunning six lengths in hand.

Dubawi Gold filled the runner-up spot, with Native Khan a further half-length away in third.

It was a third 2000 Guineas triumph for Cecil following the successes of Bolkonski (1975) and Wollow (1976).

Queally said: "He was just so much better today than at Newbury. He's made a show of them. The one thing this horse does is gallop - I didn't want to disappoint him, I wanted him to do what he enjoys and he showed them.

"The first thing you think is what speed are we going, because to him it feels like a cruising canter. He quickened up and went away."

Cecil said: "That was lovely wasn't it?

"I think I might have actually got the plan wrong as I thought I'd try and kill them all if they went with his gallop, but in the last furlong he was looking for all the other horses. He was waiting for them.

"It is a relief. It has gone right and he's a very, very good horse.

"It's difficult to compare years and different champions, but he must be up with them.

"He settled very well, but he'd won his race and was wondering where everything else was and was waiting for them a bit, but we thought there was something left in the tank."

Frankel is favourite for the Investec Derby, and while the legendary trainer was non-committal on future plans, he did raise the intriguing possibility of his superstar turning out on Thursday week in the 10-furlong Dante Stakes at York.

"We'll sit and think and I'll discuss it with the prince (Khalid Abdullah, owner]. We'll work it out together," Cecil said.

"He is in the Dante, so we'll see how he comes out of this and what we want to do. Whether he'll get a mile and a half is another matter.

"If he's more of a miler, there is the St James's Palace Stakes, so we'll leave all options open.

"If he's very well and he ran in the Dante, then we'd know where we're going. I could easily bring him back a couple of furlongs at Ascot.

"We'll leave it all open and it will entirely depend on how the horse is and we'll see what the prince wants to do. We want to do the right thing."

The 7-4 favourite Dandino got the better of Native Ruler by a nose in an epic battle for the Qipco Jockey Club Stakes.

James Given's hardy runner never knows when he is beaten and it was only at the post that he got past the strong-travelling Native Ruler with his stablemate Indian Days a long way back in third.

"He's brilliant, but I'm very proud of Indian Days under a penalty too," said Given.

"You have to congratulate Henry Cecil for bringing Native Ruler back after 631 days off.

"Dandino will have to go back to Group Ones and the Coronation Cup is the next option. Both horses will go for the big overseas races later in the year."