A PERFECT TEN
   Noises from the Southern Hemisphere have recently questioned whether Frankel (GB) (Galileo {Ire}) is indeed the world's best, but the Juddmonte juggernaut's reply came across loud and clear yesterday as he went 10-for-10 in his own incredible fashion in Newbury's G1 Lockinge S. Despite a well-documented setback in training last month and a race-hardened Excelebration (Ire) (Exceed and Excel {Aus}) lining up to expose any resulting flaw, Khalid Abdullah's legend-in-the-making simply continued where he left off with another monstrous performance. Sent off the 2-7 favorite, the unbeaten star followed his 3/4-brother Bullet Train (GB) (Sadler's Wells) as he would on the Newmarket slopes and, when asked to go on with a quarter mile remaining, stretched out in customary style to wallop his old adversary Excelebration once again by five lengths. "He belongs to racing at the moment," jockey Tom Queally. "He's filled out and is the real deal now."
Saturday, Newbury, Britain
JLT LOCKINGE S.-G1, £175,000, Newbury, 5-19, 4yo/up, 1mT, 1:38.14, gd/sf.
1--FRANKEL (GB), 126, c, 4, by Galileo (Ire)
1st Dam: Kind (Ire) (MSW-GB & GSP-Ire, $132,389), by Danehill
2nd Dam: Rainbow Lake (GB), by Rainbow Quest
3rd Dam: Rockfest, by Stage Door Johnny
O-Khalid Abdullah; B-Juddmonte Farms; T-Sir Henry Cecil; J-Tom Queally; £99,243. Lifetime Record: Horse of the Year-Eur, Co-Hwt. 2yo Colt-GB, Co-Ch. 2yo Colt-Eur, Hwt. 3yo Colt-GB at 7-9.5f, 10-10-0-0, £1,471,952. *Full to Noble Mission (GB), SP-GB; 3/4 to Bullet Train (GB) (Sadler's Wells), GSW-GB. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ 'Triple Plus' Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2--Excelebration (Ire), 126, c, 4, Exceed and Excel (Aus)--Sun Shower (Ire), by Indian Ridge (Ire). (€15,000 wnlg '08 GOFNOV; £20,000 yrl '09 DONAUG). O-Derrick Smith, Susan Magnier & Michael Tabor; B-Owenstown Stud; T-Aidan O'Brien; £37,625.
3--Dubawi Gold (GB), 126, c, 4, Dubawi (Ire)--Savannah Belle (GB), by Green Desert. (42,000gns wnlg '08 TATDEC; £85,000 yrl '09 DONAUG; 160,000gns 2yo '10 TATAPR; 130,000gns RNA HIT '10 TATHIT). O-Andrew Tinkler; B-A H Bennett; T-Richard Hannon; J-Richard Hughes; £18,830.
Margins: 5, 4, 3. Odds: 2-7, 10-3, 16-1.
Also Ran: Bullet Train (GB), Ransom Note, Windsor Palace (Ire). Scratched: Strong Suit.
Click for the Racing Post chart, the brisnet.com PPs or the free brisnet.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, courtesy Racing UK.
   Newbury was the venue at which Frankel's 3-year-old career was launched, and the little-known Excelebration got his first taste of chasing him in vain during the G3 Greenham S. The pair met on two further occasions and, although the latter got closer to him in the G1 St James's Palace S., the order was always the same. That Royal Ascot contest seemed to expose a weakness in Khalid Abdullah's colt, as he appeared to tread water late on there, but any doubts were dispelled by commanding performances in Goodwood's G1 Sussex S. in July and the G1 Queen Elizabeth II S. on Ascot's Champions' Day. Not long after he had caused untold stress to connections when striking into himself on the gallops, Frankel was giving all a reminder of his prowess in a public exercise on 2000 Guineas day, and had reportedly done even better when taken back to Newmarket's circuit last Saturday. Tom Queally was full of confidence entering this high-profile return and, although he had a bullseye on his back with Joseph O'Brien settling Excelebration on his heels, the most-envied jockey in the Northern Hemisphere was only watching Bullet Train ahead. Moving into pole position with a quarter mile remaining, the combination were soon extending the margin between them and Ballydoyle's challenger without any recourse to the whip. "It's a great relief he's come back and great to be on board," Queally said. "He showed that burst of acceleration and is not like anything I've ever sat on or ever will do. He has grown up from last year and is thicker-set. He's a great horse." Frankel's next options are the June 19 G1 Queen Anne S. over a mile or a first try at 10 furlongs in the following day's G1 Prince of Wales's S. and, while no decision has been made at this point, his trainer strongly suggested that the former will be his target at the Royal meeting. "It hasn't been straightforward with 10 days off, but the team have got him through it and done exactly what I wanted them to do, so I want to thank them," a typically emotional and humble Sir Henry Cecil said. "He's always taken a hold, but he quickens so well and his first race is never his best. He always improves for a race and has had a very good blow afterwards. He's done everything right and in every sport a champion is needed, so it's good for racing. We'll take it step-by-step and he's in the two races at Ascot, so we'll feel our way. The Prince is amazing and leaves it to me. I don't want him to run over a mile and a quarter until he's ready for it, and so the mile is more likely at Ascot. If we stick to a mile there, he may be ready to step up in August or September time. Time will tell."