the 'Frankel" wave at Royal Ascot UK

In UK there is a famous quote on the certainties of life - death, taxes and Frankel.   Do you know its Hyderabadi connection ? 

First something on Ascot Racecourse, the famous English racecourse, located in the small town of Ascot, Berkshire, used for thoroughbred horse racing. The course is closely associated with the British Royal Family, being approximately six miles from Windsor Castle.  Now the place is abuzz with activity of  Flat racing . The Royal Meeting, held in June every year, remains a major draw, the highlight being the Gold Cup. The most prestigious race is the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes.  The Queen Anne Stakes is a race inaugurated in 1840 and  run over a distance of 1 mile [1609 meters] with 4 years old and up participating.  Frankel won it most convincingly by 11 lengths.  The event was established in 1840, and  called Trial Stakes earlier was renamed in honour of Queen Anne, the founder of Ascot Racecourse, in 1930.  It is now the first race on the opening day of the Royal Ascot; about  300,000 people are expected to attend the annual week-long event in Windsor.

Away from Frankel, in recent years at Royal Ascot, spotting the worst of spectators' fashion has become as much of a national sport as the actual horse races. This year Organisers have deployed a squad of 'fashion police' to stand guard at the turnstiles and stop anyone flouting a new dress code – and hand out hats, pashminas, waistcoats and ties. Those ladies would fall foul of Royal Ascot's strict dress code this year if they are wearing strapless and sheer-strap dresses. They woiuld be expected to wear a pashmina over their shoulders.  The organizers reportedly have a  team of 30 'dress-code assistants'  who have undergone special training to help them spot guests breaching the 16-page style guide laid out by race bosses.  Women are also expected to wear skirts or dresses of 'modest length' which fall just above the knee or longer.  Men must wear black or grey morning dress with a waistcoat and tie, a black or grey top hat and black shoes – but cravats are not welcome.  In the grandstand, which is open to the public, a hat or fascinator is now compulsory for women.  

Now on the hero of the race – Frankel – a thoroughbred racehorse foaled in Feb 2008 by Juddmonte Farms, trained by Sir Henry Cecil and owned by Prince Khalid Abdulla. Named after the renowned and late American trainer Bobby Frankel, Frankel is unbeaten in ten races and is officially rated as the best racehorse in the world.  In 2011, it won the  Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot ; was given a rating of 143 by Timeform, the highest mark awarded by the organisation in over forty years and their fourth highest of all time behind Sea Bird, Brigadier Gerard and Tudor Minstrel.  He is better known for the win in the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket in April 2011, a performance which has been described as "one of the greatest displays on a British racecourse.  

Frankel has been  dubbed 'Usain Bolt of the racing world'  and was the first to be valued at £100 Million.  Security around the animal is so tight his trainer sleeps next to a video screen which streams live footage of Frankel in his box.  The horse reportedly can gallop at up to 40mph and its  worth also reflects the £100,000 'covering' - the price charged for him to mate with a mare - that the horse will be able to command when he is put out to stud.  As Daily Mail put it earlier, the price  is worth the equivalent of:       577 Ferrari 458s;  110,011 return flights from London to Sydney or 200,000 new iPhone 4S

Interesting to read a review – just read these lines :  'He has such a huge stride that he often makes other very capable horses look slow. Frankel used to be very headstrong when he was young but he has calmed down and is maturing into a phenomenal horse.  Frankel’s price is in millions perhaps it may never be realized as its owner- Khalid Abdullah, a reclusive Saudi Arabian prince and multi-billionaire businessman would never put the horse on sale. 

Black Caviar is another great horse from Australia is also on view at UK and she will run on Saturday  in the Diamond Jubilee Stakes; she is a long odds-on favourite to extend her record to 22 straight wins.  At the Ascot Queens’ stake, some entertained some thoughts of  challenge to Frankel – but that turned out to be a damp squib as Frankel outwitted all others by a margin of 11 lengths.  According to Timeform, such luminaries as Sea Bird, Brigadier Gerard, Tudor Minstrel, Ribot, Mill Reef, Dancing Brave, Sea The Stars and Shergar are all judged to be inferior to the Sir Henry Cecil-trained Frankel, who effortlessly registered his 11th victory from 11 starts.

Sir Henry Cecil, the master trainer of Britain’s greatest racehorse, insists he is just a pawn in the painstaking operation to deliver the sport’s most precious treasure to Royal Ascot in pristine condition this week.  Amongst the group of people tending to the horse is this boy from Hyderabad working as a Stable lad - Sandeep 'Sandy’ Gauravaram: The Frankel’s lad  was a jockey in Hyderabad, India, for 10 years, and is taking care of Frankel in the stable.  His work starts at 5.15 am in the morning  and states of playing with the horse,  stroking, patting,  talking to the horse, giving it extra time and attention. He is quoted as talking everything to the horse  – about cricket, an Indian song, whatever.  Shane Fetherstonhaugh is Frankel’s daily work rider

So much to a horse, because it is Frankel, born of Galeilo and Kind.

With regards – S. Sampathkumar.