Queally delighted to end era on real high

It has shown on occasion – the 28-year-old stunned by the criticism, some unfair, that he received after misjudging the horse’s winning run in the St James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot last year. Only the horse saved him.

A naturally shy individual whose demeanour is the total contrast to Frankie Dettori’s showmanship, he was also on edge prior to Frankel’s finale, preferring to keep his own counsel on occasion.

But it is a measure of Queally’s qualities of a horseman that he managed to tame Frankel so much that the colt was last out of the starting stalls – contrast this with his breakaway 2000 Guineas win 18 long months ago – and how he savoured every last second on the horse after they crossed the winning line for the 14th and final time.

“I could stand here and talk all night about what he means to me and I am very proud to be associated with him. I went down an extra 100 yards in front of the stands to let the crowd soak it all in and so I could have another 20 seconds on his back,” said the jockey, his face a picture of contentment in comparison to Queally’s slightly bewildered appearance in the build-up.

“Frankel is the biggest chapter in my life and it’s great that it has happened. Sir Henry (Cecil) has had some great jockeys and for me to be there at that time when the horse of a lifetime comes along is just amazing.

“I can think of harder things than being Frankel’s jockey on the grand scale of things. There is pressure but there is pressure in all walks of life and I would gladly take it all on board. I am by no means at all a showman but it is unusual for a Flat crowd to get behind a horse – you come in and say to yourself “wow”. That sums the horse up in every way.

“I don’t get too nervous because I am so close to it and have control over what’s going on, but I can imagine what some of the other people were feeling. It’s a big thing and you can see how much it means to people.”

Queally was full of admiration for Frankel’s connections taking the brave decision to run their priceless asset on such unsuitably soft ground at Ascot, intimating that he would not have relished such an elevated level of responsibility.

He also believes the conditions explained why the final winning margin, a comfortable one and three quarter lengths, was the third shortest in the champion’s career.

“I’m really proud of Frankel and we have been on an amazing journey. He was slowly away at York and he was a little bit slower today, but I have so much belief in the horse and I suppose that we have pushed that to the limit in the past but he is amazing. We lost a length at the start but a length is nothing to him,” he explained.

“It’s fair to say that he is better on better ground but the 4x4 kicked in and he is everything that you could imagine in a horse. He didn’t really enjoy the ground – he didn’t bounce off it like he can do – but that shows you what sort of horse we are dealing with. Under the circumstances I would say it’s up there with his best performances.”

By horse and jockey.