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Ascot and Makfi don't mix. The Newmarket Guineas winner, conqueror of Goldikova and Paco Boy in the Marois - the best perforamnce bar Harbinger's King George anywhere in the world this year - has been twice to the country of his origin and the country where he will eventually stand at stud - and twice flopped. Mikel Delzangles had a plausible excuse for defeat in the St James's Palace at the Royal meeting - Makfi scoped badly afterwards with a throat infection; a similar affliction ruled Canford Cliffs out of the rematch in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes, billed as decider between the two colts for mile championship of Europe.
In the parade ring Makfi sweated over his loins and Christophe Soumillon confirmed the horse just hadn't been himself. "I think he has bad memory of this place". He'd even tried to get under the gates. The result of the Queen Elizabeth muddied the waters. Poet's Voice is coming back to himself and looked magnificent in the parade ring; Frankie Dettori rides Ascot like it his fiefdom and the Godolphin three-year-old (like Makfi, by Dubawi) responded to his urgings. But Rip Van Winkle also sweated badly and the proximity of outsider Red Jazz (four lengths behind Makfi in the Guineas, two and a half lengths ahead here) doesn't give the form firm foundations. The Breeders' Cup Mile is on the agenda for Poet's Voice; whether Makfi's fragile temperament will allow him to seek redemption in the same race has yet to be decided. Whatever, it's back to the drawing board, or the psychiatrist's couch, for Makfi.
What will be Champions Day next year at Ascot was crowned by Henry Cecil's Frankel. It was a day for great men. Bobby Frankel was a Hall of Fame trainer in America who suffered an early death last year. In the ten-length winner of the Royal Lodge Stakes Frankel has a horse worthy of perpetuating his name - the imposing bay colt is the best juvenile around.
Henry Cecil describes Frankel as the best two-year-old he has trained in the 35 years since Wollow. In the meantime Cecil has trained Derby winners galore. His fortunes have been restored in recent years after ill-health and lifestyle changes brought him to brink of extinction.
Frankel's half-brother Bullet Train (by Sadler's Wells) is a morning glory but the class of this son of Galileo shines brightly every time he steps on the racecourse. He is ante-post favourite for next year's Newmarket Guineas and Derby.
One still questions the wisdom of the fixtures compromise in 2011 when the Royal Lodge and Dewhurst Stakes will "sandwich" the Lagardere. One of these races is bound to come off worst in terms of attracting the best juveniles. It was never intended that Frankel come over to Paris for the Lagardere of this Arc weekend. It is to be hoped that he has a ticket for next year to confirm what many are anticipating will be the title of the "Champion of Europe" in the 2011 Arc.
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Frogwatch, by Rolf Johnson 
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