Hi °C | Lo °C THE crowd roared its approval as the world's greatest racehorse galloped to its latest triumph yesterday but it was Frankel's trainer who received a standing ovation.
Henry Cecil was honoured by 30,000 spectators after he returned to the track following treatment for cancer to see his beloved horse stretch its perfect winning record to 13.
His voice weakened to a whisper, Cecil, 69, said the triumphant performance made him feel "20 years better".
The great trainer had not been at the races for some time, for fear of picking up infections with his immune system weakened, and was absent for Frankel's previous victory at the Sussex Stakes at Goodwood.
But he was determined to see his horse make history at the Juddmonte International Stakes in York. "I just cannot miss the day and I want to be there for Frankel," said Cecil before the race.
Frankel's win was a record eighth consecutive victory in Group One - the leading class of races. It eclipsed the record set by Rock of Gibraltar in 2002.
Afterwards, three cheers rang out for the colt, but spectators rose to their feet to salute Cecil - who over his four-decade career has been champion trainer 10 times. "That was great, wasn't it?" he said. "It's fantastic. It's great for Yorkshire. They are very supportive of racing and they deserve to see him."
Cecil has been receiving treatment for stomach cancer for six years and has not been seen on a racecourse since Royal Ascot in mid-June.
The cream of the horse racing world was quick to salute the achievements of both horse and trainer, with one trainer, Michael Bell, tweeting that Frankel was like "Mo (Farah) and Usain (Bolt) combined".
Cecil had voiced his disappointment at being unable to attend the horse's previous winning race at Goodwood.
