The late Hall Of Fame trainer Robert J. Frankel, who passed away at the age of 68 in November 2009, will be remembered for his outstanding conditioning skills. After decades of schooling lowly claimers, he began to handle better class runners for prominent owners such as Edmund Gann, Stavros Niarchos and Bert Firestone. His successes came to the attention of Prince Khalid Abdullah, owner of the British-based Juddmonte Farms operation, who sent him a number of already-raced European performers aimed at the lucrative purses in North America.

Frankel improved these, often beyond recognition, into turf stars, and also developed a few dirt-bred youngsters for the Juddmonte operation. Over the past couple of decades his successes for Juddmonte included the likes of Aptitude, Banks Hill, Champs Elysees, Empire Maker, First Defence, Intercontinental, Senure (sire of the ill-fated Oasis Star), Sightseek, Skimming and Ventura. Given the vital role he played in the success of Abdullah’s stable, it is not surprising that the Prince chose to honour his former trainer by naming a promising two-year-old after him.

Such a venture could well have turned out to be a mere footnote in the annals of the turf. For example, the racehorse “Mr. Mukhi” (by Roy), named after this writer, failed to trouble the scorer in his native Chile! On the other hand, Potential Champion (by Satinello) did turn out to be a champion for the Poonawallas back in the ‘eighties. In the case of Frankel, serendipity was clearly at work, for not only did the Galileo colt turn out to be a top-notcher – at the time of writing he looks like being the best two-year-old in Europe for several years!

On Saturday, October 16th, in the Gr.1 Dubai Dewhurst Stakes (7 fur.) at Newmarket, Frankel (out of Kind, by Danehill) effortlessly defeated another bred on the same cross (by Galileo out of a Danehill mare) in Ballydoyle’s Roderic O’Connor (out of Secret Garden). The hitherto undefeated Dream Ahead (by Diktat) and Saamidd (by Street Cry), who was supplemented into the race at a cost of £20,000, were never in the race; neither seemed to appreciate the loose ground while the former had the additional excuse of having run up light after his recent effort in the Gr.1 Middle Park Stakes. Frankel has been handled impeccably by veteran Henry Cecil and was steered perfectly by young Tom Queally.

The Abdullah-Cecil-Queally combine did not rest on its laurels – just 35 minutes later the team came up with a repeat victory for Twice Over (Observatory – Double Crossed, by Caerleon) in the historic Gr.1 Champion Stakes (10 fur.), sponsored by Emirates Airlines. Clearly the winner loves Newmarket – his tally on the track is now 5 wins from 7 starts. Queally was all praise for his mount: "My job is easy," he said. "I've just got to steer him around. I'm very fond of the horse. He's had a lot of near misses in his career and it's great he's come up trumps today.”

Incidentally, this race moves to Ascot from 2011 in a revamped British racing programme for next year. Meanwhile, Twice Over is being readied for another tilt at the Gr.1 Dubai World Cup at the Meydan Racecourse in March 2011. Cecil did not conceal his admiration for his ward "He was in real good form today and he's my favourite horse," Cecil said. "I adore him and the Prince does as well.” For the record, the French challenger Vision d’Etat (by Chichicastenango), who raced a shade keenly, finished second, followed by Debussy (by Diesis), who weakened after being prominent throughout. Across the Atlantic, Juddmonte just failed – by a head plus a nose – to record what would have been a phenomenal Gr.1 treble when Redwood (by High Chaparral) could not quite get up in the Gr.1 Pattison Canadian International Stakes (12 fur.) in time to collar Ballydoyle’s Joshua Tree (Montjeu – Madeira Mist, by Grand Lodge) and Mrs. C. O’Flynn’s Mores Wells (by Sadler’s Wells) at Toronto’s Woodbine Racecourse. The second-named prevailed under an inspired ride by Colm O’Donoghue – well known to Indian racegoers – who took the initiative early and goaded his mount to just about hang on from the flying Mores Wells and Redwood.

It was an all-European finish for trainers Aidan O’Brien, Richard Gibson and Barry Hills respectively and it is interesting that the three place-getters are all from the Sadler’s Wells male line. Given that even the third-placed runner earned about Rs 1 crore for its efforts, it is clear that this race – and its lead-up events – ought to be on the radar of top Indian middle-distance runners of the calibre of Squanderer or Elusive Pimpernel or Saddle Up or Mystical. Win or lose, the exercise can only prove beneficial in laying down a benchmark for the achievements of the Indian-bred. Without the heat of competition there can be no improvement.

Another name familiar to the Indian turfite, albeit of an earlier period, is that of jockey-turned-trainer Rae Guest, who rode at Calcutta (as it then was) for trainer Shivendra “Dicky” Singh in the ‘seventies. Based in Newmarket, Guest is always up for an international challenge and sent out his charge Serious Attitude (Mtoto – Zameyla, by Cape Cross), part-owned by him, to a meritorious success in the Gr.1 Nearctic Stakes (6 fur.) on the same card.

Although this filly had jumped to the top of her class as a two-year-old in England back in 2008, when triumphant in the Gr.1 Cheveley Park Stakes, she had somewhat lost her way since and not surprisingly was at a long price here, notwithstanding the presence in the saddle of the irrepressible Garrett Gomez. Despite sticking to the rear early in the fast run affair she had enough of a finishing kick to be able to overtake her eleven rivals and score at 23 to 1.

Completing the roster of well-endowed Gr.1 stakes events during the afternoon was the 10-furlong E.P. Taylor Stakes, sponsored by Emirates Airlines. Once again the field was full of European bred and trained runners who numbered 9 of the 10 contenders. In the circumstances, a victory for one of that ilk was hardly surprising – it was just the identity of the winner that was somewhat unexpected. While Reggane (Red Ransom – Reine Zao, by Alzao) did have form at the top level – she was runner-up to Ghanaati in the Gr.1 Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot in 2009 – she had not shown enough of late. Perhaps the opportunity to relax behind a fast pace here – something that is a rarity in France – helped Alain Royer-Dupre’s ward to conserve her best for the finish and she prevailed by a comfortable length. Locally-trained Irish-bred Miss Keller (by Montjeu) followed the winner home chased by Shalanaya (by Lomitas).

Winning rider Christophe Soumillon, on board for the first time in the filly’s 12-race career, commented: “I watched her run many times in Europe. So I know she is a late-finishing filly. She doesn’t like to take the lead early. Today, the pace was fast enough for me to wait and, when I came into the turn, I could tell that many horses in front of me were slowing down. So when I asked her to go, she gave me a good turn of foot.” Reggane may now head for the Breeders Cup.