Superstars abound at Royal Ascot on Tuesday, but all eyes will be on Frankel when Sir Henry Cecil's superstar defends his unbeaten record in the St James's Palace Stakes.
The Galileo colt left the racing world stunned when he made all in astonishing fashion under Tom Queally to claim the Qipco 2000 Guineas at Newmarket in May, having things wrapped up at halfway to spark applause from the crowd.
Connections resisted the temptation to have a crack at the Investec Derby and stick to a mile for his next assignment, where he faces eight rivals.
Cecil said: "I'd love him to continue to be a champion because racing needs horses like Sea The Stars, Mill Reef and Arkle. I think it lifts the whole industry as people not really involved begin to catch on and show interest. He's more complicated than most horses. He's very sensible in most cases, but he does want to get on with things and you've just got to ease off a little.
"When you've got a horse like him you need to be careful. Every day you dread something happening and you are on tenterhooks, but he is a lovely horse to train. I just hope that he'll go on and continue doing it as well as he has been. I've had to bring him back from the Guineas carefully. Because of his long stride he gets himself there quicker than a lazy, idle horse.
"He is likely to get a little warm but that's just because he is slightly highly-strung. I don't like the fact that he sweats, and he probably will between his back legs, but he does it. I've got his full-brother and he does it too. He's actually warm blooded because when it was cold we put a rug on him like we did with all the others and we could see on the CCTV that he was trying to pull it over his head because he was too warm, so now we just give him a sheet.
"Everybody has tried to make out he's some sort of monster and that's he's very highly-strung. He's not really, he just wants to get on with things."
Richard Hannon's Dubawi Gold was six lengths behind Frankel when second in the Guineas at Newmarket, while he was only three-quarters of a length away from winning the Irish equivalent. The trainer does not expect his charge to reverse the placings with Cecil's charge, but is hopeful he may be able to lessen the gap.
"Hughesie (Richard Hughes) has done a great job in getting Dubawi Gold to settle, and, while he should have won in Ireland that is now history and it is the future that counts," the champion trainer told his website, www.richardhannonracing.tv.
"He has improved since Frankel beat us at Newmarket, and, while I am not saying that we will reverse the form, I think we can finish closer this time and who knows, if he doesn't fire, we might even win."
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