Frankel bows out to Cecil salute

ASCOT, England (AFP) –

Jockey Tom Queally gestures to the crowd as he rides racehorse Frankel. Frankel bowed out with the cheers of 32,000 people ringing in his ears and the ultimate accolade from his legendary trainer Henry Cecil who claimed there had never been a greater racehorse.

Frankel bowed out with the cheers of 32,000 people ringing in his ears and the ultimate accolade from his legendary trainer Henry Cecil who claimed there had never been a greater racehorse.

The 69-year-old’s tribute came as his great star disappeared from the winners’ enclosure having done two laps of the ring as his final public display before he goes to stud after making it 14 wins from 14 starts rounding it off in the appropriately named Champion Stakes.

Seldom in the modern era has a horse captured the public’s imagination as Frankel has done — he even had the rare honour of the silks of his owner Prince Khalid Abdullah being worn by the Household Cavalry earlier in the week.

Part of his appeal and popular following has stemmed not only from his performances — he won nine of his races by four lengths or more — but also because of Cecil’s enormous popularity made all the more poignant as he battles for the second time against cancer.

As ever Cecil, who was given three cheers by the crowd after he returned to the paddock to greet Frankel, was sparing with his words but they were significant.

“I have probably got him too relaxed…it used to be the other way,” said Cecil, one of only five racing personalities to be knighted for his services to the sport.

“I cannot believe in the history of racing that there has ever been a better racehorse.

“I have enjoyed every moment of training him, although it has been slightly stressful at times.

“He’s the best that I have ever had and the best that I have ever seen,” added Cecil, who has been training since 1969 and been champion trainer 10 times.

Jockey Tom Queally waves to the crowd as he rides racehorse Frankel. Frankel produced perhaps his finest performance to retain his unbeaten record with his 14th victory in the Group One Champion Stakes in what was his final race.

For Frankel’s quietly-spoken jockey Tom Queally it was an extra-special moment for his riding of the great horse had come under the microscope.

But Cecil had stuck by him just as Abdullah had by the trainer when his fortunes nosedived at the turn of the century.

Queally, who had one nervous moment when he stumbled on leaving the stalls, punched the air several times as he made his way back to the winners enclosure in a most uncharacteristic gesture by the 28-year-old Irishman.

“I always had belief in him, he is a one in a million horse and it has been an honour to be associated with him. He is the biggest chapter in my life,” he said.

“Sir Henry (Cecil) has had some great jockeys and for me to be there at that time when the horse of a lifetime comes along is just amazing.

“Did I feel the pressure? On the grand scale of things there is pressure in all walks of like so mine was no different to many other people’s.

“Put it this way I didn’t have to take a sleeping pill last night.

“I am not much of a showman, but the reception he got was so touching from the crowd it got me inspired to let myself go for a moment.

“You come back to something like that and you say Waow!” added Queally, who was watched by his family who had come over from Ireland.

For Abdullah’s racing manager Teddy Grimthorpe it was a moment of many in the great horse’s career to savour.

“He’s wonderful isn’t he?” said Grimthorpe. “He has brought much to this sport and something to savour. I could do this all over again. Was I nervous? Never.”

John Gosden, trainer of the third home Nathaniel who was runner-up to Frankel in the latter’s first race in 2010, said it was the ideal result.

“I am thrilled with the result….I think that is what we all wanted,” he said.

“I love the way Frankel came in but he had to race at the end (against last year’s winner and Saturday’s second Cirrus des Aigles) – in the last half furlong he was having a race.

“What a great horse.”