'From the three-furlong pole every other horse in the race was drunk'

Richard Hughes, the rider of runner-up Dubawi Gold, has described his disbelief watching Frankel destroy the opposition as he recalled the legendary champion's 2,000 Guineas victory in 2011.

Talking to the Racing Post for a feature in Sunday's newspaper ahead of the tenth anniversary of Frankel's most astonishing performance, which includes contributions from many more who were at Newmarket that afternoon, Hughes admitted he had harboured doubts about Sir Henry Cecil's unbeaten colt going into the race.

"I wasn't a fan before the race," he said. "I thought he'd get buzzed up before the start or run away with Tom [Queally] going to post."

Richard Hughes: 'I thought we were all going too fast from the moment we left the stalls'Credit: Edward Whitaker

That part of Frankel's mission accomplished, Hughes recalled how his fellow jockeys still had no idea of the tactics set to be employed by Queally at the start – and that it took him a little while to realise those tactics were working.

"Our concern at the start was that one of the Abdullah horses would immediately cross over to the other one," he said. "After 100 yards I looked up and saw this horse in the Abdullah colours go tearing off but I couldn't work out whether it was Frankel or his pacemaker. It didn't take me long to realise that the pacemaker couldn't possibly run that fast.

"The pace was ridiculous. I thought we were all going too fast from the moment we left the stalls. Frankel was six lengths clear after three furlongs. We tried hard to follow him but from the three-furlong pole every other horse in the race was drunk. Even if Frankel had tired, none of us could have done anything about it. He could have walked the last furlong and we still wouldn't have caught him."

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Frankel had proved Hughes wrong once – and he would continue to do so as he continued his stunning exploits across the 18 months to come.

"My first impression afterwards was that he wouldn't be able to do it again," said Hughes. "I was sure the race would leave a serious mark on him. But he was an extraordinary horse with an extraordinary trainer."

Read more from Richard Hughes and many more in The Big Read, available online for Members' Club Ultimate subscribers from 6pm on Saturday or in Sunday's Racing Post newspaper. Join Members' Club here

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