Watch the Japanese Frankel colt with a Derby entry win in stunning style

Another day, another keenly anticipated maiden winner for Frankel.

In recent weeks there have been first-time out victories for the sire's offspring Elarqam (the 1,600,000gns colt out of Attraction), Goldush (the €1.7 million filly out of Alexander Goldrun) and Herculean (a Juddmonte homebred son of African Rose).

And on Monday it was the turn of Tanino Frankel - a two-year-old colt out of the legendary Japanese racemare Vodka - to impress with an effortless one-and-a-quarter-length victory in a ten-furlong maiden at Hanshin.

He had finished second on debut in a newcomers' race at Niigata last month and barely needed to be asked any questions to coast home in front on his second start.

The Irish-foaled Tanino Frankel, trained by Katsuhiko Sumii for Vodka's owner Yuzo Tanimizu, holds an eye-catching entry for the Derby at Epsom next year.

Tanino Frankel boasts not only an unbeaten dual world champion as sire, but a mare feted in her native country as dam.

Vodka won seven Grade 1 contests, including the Japanese Derby - becoming the first female to win the race in 64 years - and the prestigious Japan Cup.

The daughter of Tanino Gimlet, now 13, was Japan's horse of the year in 2008 and 2009 and admitted into the country's hall of fame in 2011.

Since her retirement from racing, Vodka has been bred to sires in Europe including Sea The Stars in her first three years at paddocks, resulting in the six-year-old horse Volare, five-year-old mare Case By Case (placed in Japan) and four-year-old filly Tanino Urban Sea (a winner in Japan).

Tanino Frankel has a yearling half-sister by Invincible Spirit and Vodka foaled another colt by Frankel this year.

If Tanino Frankel or any of the other recent rash of maiden winners by Frankel convert their promise to Group race performance, we will be hearing plenty more about the Banstead Manor Stud sire for some time yet.

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