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Times
2 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Times
My audience with Frankel — king of racehorses
For racing fans, the name Frankel is the equivalent of the mythical Pegasus. But the unbeaten superstar of the sport, who was retired from the track in 2012 and is now 17, doesn't reside on Olympus. Instead he can be visited in his stable in Newmarket courtesy of Newmarket Tours. The bad news is that Frankel is only available to the public eight times a year — for a group limited to 24 — and tickets are snapped up faster than an Oasis reunion. For aficionados, this really is the hottest ticket in town. The legend of Frankel is for ever tied with that of his trainer, the late great Sir Henry Cecil. Champion trainer ten times between 1976 and 1993, the charismatic Cecil's career had declined with the combination of a fallout with Sheikh Mohammed, two divorces (he married for a third time in 2008) and then a gradual physical decline caused by stomach cancer. From a peak of having about 200 horses in his care and for decades churning out over 100 winners a year, Cecil was down to about 50 and in 2005 he hit rock bottom with just 12 winners. The following year he was diagnosed with stomach cancer and, but for the staunch support of his leading owner, Prince Khalid Abdullah, he would surely have retired. Cecil had remained a darling of the racing public throughout, though, and it was Abdullah who provided Cecil with his greatest legacy when sending Frankel to his stables as an unraced two-year-old colt back in 2010. Frankel went on to win all 14 races he took part in, from 2010 to 2012, ten of them at the highest level, as he went from strength to strength while his once-dashing trainer looked ever more frail. Many believe that Frankel was all that kept Cecil going in his final years and the trainer finally succumbed to the illness in 2013, his life's work achieved. Those lucky enough to buy the golden Frankel tickets can still be a part of that great legacy. A half-day tour costs just £110, while a full-day version is £210. There are four of each a year. The full-day events start at 8am and are hosted by Cecil's widow, Lady Cecil, who both acts as your tour guide — adding her personal Frankel memories — and hosts a two-course lunch at the Bedford Lodge Hotel on the outskirts of town. The morning takes in a behind-the-scenes visit to Newmarket's Rowley Mile Course (the town also has the July Course), a visit to the gallops and a tour of a trainer's yard before lunch. It is a 2pm start for the half-day tour, meeting at the National Horseracing Museum in the middle of Newmarket. The tour bus is ageing but the journey times are short and the guides, with their years of experience in the sport, are brilliant. The former jockey Larry Bowden steered my bus and delivered a flawless commentary with a hint of a Suffolk accent. Every stud and training yard is accurately reeled off as you drive past, with historical facts about Newmarket and plenty of other little-known gems sprinkled in, all delivered with a dash of humour. • Read more luxury reviews, advice and insights from our experts First stop was the top of Warren Hill gallop, close to where Frankel was trained at Cecil's Warren Place base, and offers views across the town. It is a scene that has scarcely changed since Newmarket racecourse was founded by King Charles II back in 1636. Then comes the main event as you arrive at Banstead Manor Stud, which has been Frankel's home since his retirement from racing at the end of 2012. Not every top racehorse enjoys success at stud, with several Derby winners in recent years failing to produce progeny with the requisite ability and ending their careers in far-flung outposts. Frankel has proved exceptional, siring a seemingly endless list of top-class horses. His racing career earned £3 million but breeding is where the real money is. He is visited by about 150 mares during the breeding season, with their owners paying £350,000 a time for the privilege, earning Abdullah's Juddmonte Farms about £52.5 million a year. Given those numbers, it is no surprise that the surroundings are opulent, with well-appointed brick stables set among manicured lawns surrounded by pristine hedges that hide the rolling paddocks behind. If there is so much as a blade of grass out of place, it is not apparent. Banstead Manor houses seven stallions — one of them being Chaldean, a son of Frankel who followed his father by winning the 2,000 Guineas (one of five classics that are run each year in Britain). • The Queen, horse racing and me, by one of Britain's best trainers These are not pets, though, that you can pat on the nose in their stables. They are working horses. Thoroughbreds are by nature flighty and stallions often have plenty of attitude. Each stallion has their own personal groom, with whom they need to gel, and Frankel has been looked after by Rob Bowley since he arrived there in November 2012. The stallions are displayed, one at a time, by their grooms as we are given a running commentary by Henry Bletsoe as to both their racing career and their quirks. Frankel might be the main draw, but we are told that he is not the boss at the stud, with Oasis Dream, who is now 25, still demanding to be first in line. He really does have attitude, despite his advancing years, but looks magnificent with his coat gleaming in the sunshine. Then the main event saunters into view. Frankel, with his four white socks and distinctive crown-shaped white mark on his forehead, is rather more relaxed. He stands obediently as the group looks on in awe at this magnificent specimen, who is prepared to have pictures taken as long as a timely supply of carrots is provided by Bowley, who chats to him throughout. After a few minutes, though, his head starts nodding with ever greater frequency as boredom sets in — why have I been brought out of my stable when there is no mare to visit? He saunters back to his stable and disappears from view. • Can Gen Z save racing? Traditionalists have their doubts The tour ends with a visit to the breeding barn, with our guide trying to find appropriate words to describe how things work with two children in attendance, much to the amusement of the rest of the group. Goodie bags are handed out, in classy Frankel-design bags, which include much sought-after Frankel caps, leaving no doubt as to who is the star of the show. The trip is rounded off with tea and scones back at the museum at 4pm, which allows the chance for any lingering questions to be answered. Newmarket Tours was set up in 2015 and is a not-for-profit organisation that supports tourism in the 'Home of Horseracing'. It is doing invaluable work for the town, operating six days a week and entertaining 10,000 visitors last year. Those unable to buy the Frankel tickets have many other options to choose from, starting from as little as £16.50 (£5 for under-16s) for a 90-minute trip to the National Stud, whose four stallions include the triple Ascot Gold Cup winner Stradivarius. Other studs, trainers' yards and behind-the-scenes access on race days at Newmarket are all available depending on your budget. There are about 3,000 horses in training in Newmarket, but Frankel, who retired in 2012, remains the town's biggest asset. A recent TV advert has a voice-over of a horse telling viewers that 'the Goat is a horse'. It goes on to remind 'mere humans' that a horse can 'sprint 100 metres in five seconds — with one of you on my back'. After centuries of breeding thoroughbred racehorses to become ever faster, Frankel is the best yet. The chance to see him in the flesh once again is too good to miss.
Hans India
2 days ago
- Politics
- Hans India
'He acts on behalf of Pakistan', Assam CM slams Gaurav Gogoi
Guwahati: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday launched a sharp attack on Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi for the latter's speech in the Lok Sabha during the debate on Operation Sindoor. Taking to his X handle, CM Sarma wrote, 'Speech delivered by our MP from Jorhat in Parliament yesterday proved beyond doubt that he acts on behalf of Pakistan. His secret trip and close ties with the Pakistani establishment speak volumes. With his wife and both the kids holding foreign citizenship, he can leave India any time. He is a disgrace to Assam and a betrayal of our pride as proud Indian.' On Monday, kicking off the Opposition's charge in the Lok Sabha during a special discussion on Operation Sindoor, Congress Deputy Leader in the Lower House, Gaurav Gogoi, accused the Centre of withholding critical information related to the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, where 26 civilians were killed. He questioned how five heavily armed terrorists were able to infiltrate and carry out the killings despite India's vast surveillance and intelligence apparatus. '(Defence Minister) Rajnath Singh gave many details, but could not explain how the terrorists reached Pahalgam or who helped them escape. You have Pegasus, satellites, CRPF, BSF, CISF-yet no answers after 100 days?' Gogoi demanded that Union Home Minister Amit Shah take "moral responsibility" for the attack, alleging that the government deflected blame rather than accepting security lapses. CM Sarma has been making grave allegations regarding Gogoi's alleged links with Pakistan's establishment, promising to disclose 'damning' evidence on September 10. 'What I will reveal on September 10 will make Rahul Gandhi regret why he appointed such a person to a leadership role,' CM Sarma had earlier said, referring to Gogoi's position as Congress president in Assam. CM Sarma has alleged that Gogoi's wife was involved in gathering sensitive information related to the Indian government, purportedly for international climate lobbies. 'We have documents to prove that his wife was collecting intelligence outputs of the Government of India. This operation is directly linked,' he has claimed. He has also hinted at Gogoi's links with Pakistan's Interior Ministry and intelligence agency, the ISI. He has repeatedly questioned the timing and nature of Gogoi's travel to Pakistan, calling the visit concerning since it occurred before he became a Member of Parliament. 'That's more dangerous, because at that time he was residing at the Chief Minister's residence. How can the son of a Chief Minister travel like that?' Sarma said. The CM has also raised questions about the citizenship status of Gogoi's family. CM Sarma claimed to possess documentary evidence showing that Gogoi applied to change his son's citizenship in 2021, despite the child previously holding Indian citizenship. Accusing the Congress party of long-standing proximity to Pakistan, CM Sarma earlier said that by appointing Gogoi to a key leadership role, the party had once again demonstrated its alleged sympathy toward India's western neighbour. 'Rahul Gandhi must answer now. The Congress has always patronised Pakistan -- and in Gogoi's appointment, they've done it again,' he said.
United News of India
2 days ago
- Politics
- United News of India
Home Minister should take responsibility for Pahalgam attack: Congress' Gaurav Gogoi
New Delhi, July 28 (UNI) Congress Deputy Leader Gaurav Gogoi today asserted that Home Minister Amit Shah should be held accountable for the April 22 terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, and cannot deflect responsibility onto J&K Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha. Speaking during the discussion on Operation Sindoor in the Lok Sabha, Gogoi said: "The Home Minister comes and says that everything is well arranged. The backbone of terrorism has been broken. Yet, Uri happens, Pulwama happens, and Pahalgam happens. In the end, who takes responsibility? The Lieutenant Governor of J&K? No. If responsibility has to be taken, then Hon'ble Home Minister, it is you who must take the responsibility." He also said that all the blame for the Pahalgam attack was placed on the tour operator, with the claim that the operator took tourists to Pahalgam without permission and without informing the government. He questioned this logic of "evading responsibility", asking how such an argument could be justified. He further pointed out that 100 days have passed since the Pahalgam attack, yet the four terrorists involved have not been apprehended. The terrorists came, were given shelter, carried out an attack in Pahalgam for an hour, and escaped—yet not a single one has been caught. Mr. Gogoi said, 'Those who gave shelter to the terrorists have not been caught, those who supplied them with weapons have not been caught, and those who helped them escape safely after the attack have also not been apprehended. The government has drones, Pegasus, and the Central Reserve Police Force—so why, Home Minister, have the terrorists and their accomplices still not been captured?' He said that in Pahalgam, terrorists fired at unarmed tourists for an hour, and no one came to their aid. Even the ambulance took an hour to reach the scene. 'Who will answer these questions?' he asked. Gogoi further alleged that the central government is so arrogant that no matter how serious its mistakes are, no one is allowed to question it. He said, "At the time of the Pahalgam attack, Prime Minister Narendra Modi was in Saudi Arabia and completed all his scheduled programs there. After returning to India, he did not visit Pahalgam but instead went to Bihar to deliver an election speech. If anyone went to Pahalgam, it was our leader Rahul Gandhi. It would have been much better if he had gone to Pahalgam." The Congress Deputy Leader said, "The phrase "we will strike inside their territory" has been heard often—first after the 2016 terrorist attack, and again after the Pahalgam attack. Now, he said, it is being claimed that Operation Sindoor is still ongoing, which implies that Pakistan will carry out another terrorist attack, and then there will be another response under Operation Sindoor". He further stated that after the ceasefire, it was said, 'Our objective was not war; our objective was not to capture Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.' He questioned, 'If we are not going to take Pakistan-occupied Kashmir now, then when will we?' Gogoi also demanded when the whole Opposition and the country was with the Government then why did the ceasefire happen. "The entire country and the Opposition were with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, but on the evening of May 10, news of a ceasefire emerged. In such a situation, Narendra Modi should explain- Why did this ceasefire happen? When Pakistan was ready to kneel, why did you stop? and Who did you bow to, who did you surrender to?" Union Minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh while participating in the discussion slammed Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi saying that the Jorhat MP failed to acknowledge the sacrifices of Indian soldiers. He also accused the UPA for rise in terrorism in the country. Trinamool Congress MP Kalyan Banerjee raised concerns over the ceasefire decision. He also criticised the Prime Minister for remaining silent on US President Donald Trump's repeated assertions about playing a role in ending the India-Pakistan conflict. 'Why was a ceasefire declared under pressure from the American President?' he questioned. UNI RBE RN
Economic Times
2 days ago
- Politics
- Economic Times
Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi seeks answers on Pahalgam intel lapse, abrupt end to operations
New Delhi: Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi on Monday launched a sharp attack on the government in Lok Sabha over the Pahalgam terror strike, questioning how the terrorists reached Baisaran valley on April 22 and why they remained at large even 100 days later. Opening the Opposition's debate on Operation Sindoor, Gogoi demanded answers on several issues - including US President Donald Trump's repeated claims of brokering an India-Pakistan ceasefire, and Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan's admission that India suffered air losses. He also criticised the government's decision to halt the operation after Pakistan's climbdown, asking why India didn't reclaim territory under Pakistani occupation. "The entire country, including the Opposition, stood behind PM Modi. Then suddenly, on May 10, there was a ceasefire. Why? If Pakistan was ready to surrender, why did we stop? Who did we surrender to? Donald Trump has said 26 times that he forced both countries to announce a ceasefire," Gogoi slammed the government's failure to track down the terrorists responsible for the Pahalgam attack. "It's been 100 days, but the five terrorists are still free. You have drones, Pegasus, satellites, CRPF, BSF, CISF, and even the Defence Minister visited - but you still couldn't catch them. It took an hour for an ambulance to reach Baisaran. The Army came on foot." Gogoi said. Holding Union home minister Amit Shah accountable, Gogoi said the Centre could not hide behind Jammu and Kashmir Lt Governor Manoj Sinha. "Who takes responsibility? The LG? No - it's the Union Home Minister who must be accountable. And the government blaming tour operators for taking people to Baisaran is cowardly," he said. Gogoi also criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for not visiting the site after returning from Saudi Arabia. "Instead of going to Pahalgam, the PM went to Bihar and delivered an election speech. It was Rahul Gandhi who visited the victims," he added.
Time of India
2 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi seeks answers on Pahalgam intel lapse, abrupt end to operations
Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads New Delhi: Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi on Monday launched a sharp attack on the government in Lok Sabha over the Pahalgam terror strike , questioning how the terrorists reached Baisaran valley on April 22 and why they remained at large even 100 days the Opposition's debate on Operation Sindoor , Gogoi demanded answers on several issues - including US President Donald Trump's repeated claims of brokering an India-Pakistan ceasefire , and Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan's admission that India suffered air losses. He also criticised the government's decision to halt the operation after Pakistan's climbdown, asking why India didn't reclaim territory under Pakistani occupation."The entire country, including the Opposition, stood behind PM Modi. Then suddenly, on May 10, there was a ceasefire. Why? If Pakistan was ready to surrender, why did we stop? Who did we surrender to? Donald Trump has said 26 times that he forced both countries to announce a ceasefire," Gogoi slammed the government's failure to track down the terrorists responsible for the Pahalgam attack. "It's been 100 days, but the five terrorists are still free. You have drones, Pegasus, satellites, CRPF, BSF, CISF, and even the Defence Minister visited - but you still couldn't catch them. It took an hour for an ambulance to reach Baisaran. The Army came on foot." Gogoi Union home minister Amit Shah accountable, Gogoi said the Centre could not hide behind Jammu and Kashmir Lt Governor Manoj Sinha. "Who takes responsibility? The LG? No - it's the Union Home Minister who must be accountable. And the government blaming tour operators for taking people to Baisaran is cowardly," he also criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for not visiting the site after returning from Saudi Arabia. "Instead of going to Pahalgam, the PM went to Bihar and delivered an election speech. It was Rahul Gandhi who visited the victims," he added.
