An afternoon to cherish as Frankel and Sir Henry wow York

In this extract from 'The Triumph of Henry Cecil', Tony Rushmer tells the inside story of the day Frankel won the International Stakes

It was mid-evening when Dee Deacon got the expected call from the lads on the horsebox to say that Frankel was five minutes from home after his success in the Sussex Stakes. As usual in that situation, she dropped what she was doing and made haste back to the stables. She had already carried out her duties as head groom at morning and evening stables, overseeing the 30 or so boxes that were under her care.

For Deacon, it was no problem to travel a mile or so from her home to the yard for a third time in a day. Her commitment to her employer and his horses meant she needed to ensure everything was fine with Frankel. She checked his legs and prepared his feed, among the other tasks that had to be done. Cecil was there too. 'You're coming with me to the Juddmonte', he told her. Deacon expressed her gratitude and happily thought to herself about the outing to come but nothing could have prepared her for the emotions and excitement of that day.