THE sight of Frankel destroying the 2,000 Guineas field should have frightened off the most optimistic of trainers. But Richard Fahey will not shirk a duel.

And so Wootton Bassett will face the biggest challenge of his young life when he bids to dethrone the mighty horse in the Group 1 St James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot on Tuesday.

To watch Frankel at Newmarket was to see racing’s wildest dreams come true.

The bare distance, six lengths, could not truly reflect the way Henry Cecil’s colt utterly dominated a top-class field of three-year-olds.

People are always lining up to name the next ‘wonder horse’ but, in the Guineas, Frankel lived up to the billing.

Striding like a sprinter, he was 12 lengths clear at half-way. The race was already won.

Now, Frankel moves on to the Royal Meeting and, on the 300th anniversary of the festival of pomp and pageantry, the punters are expecting another show of brilliance.

In his way stands Wootton Bassett, the pride of Malton and the North.

While this season has largely gone like clockwork for Frankel, the same cannot be said for Fahey’s son of Iffraaj.

A setback in training over the winter ruled out a Guineas effort over the Rowley Mile and, when trainer Fahey and jockey Paul Hanagan went in search of Classic glory in France, circumstance conspired against them.

Cursed with a wide draw at Longchamp in the French 2,000 Guineas, Wootton Bassett faded into fifth with Hanagan forced to burn up vital reserves in the early stages in a bid to capture an early lead.

Robbing him of an unbeaten record which had brought big money success as a two-year-old at York and Doncaster and then a Group 1 victory in the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere in Paris, it was hard not to be at least a little deflated.

The draw was not the only excuse.

Having been fit and ready to run, Hanagan told Fahey that Wootton Bassett had been “ready to explode” just before being loaded into the stalls in the French Classic.

So you can forgive that he ran a bit free and, should he get the trip at Berkshire, you can expect a bit more from him this time.

Will it be enough to beat Frankel? Whatever happens, Fahey’s horse – frequently described by the handler as the best he has ever trained – will not dodge the challenge with Group 1 honours on the line.

“I spoke to Richard the other day and I believe all is on course for Tuesday,” said Wootton Bassett’s part owner, Frank Brady, earlier this week.

“We both think he was just too fresh in France and we didn’t see the best of him.

“It’s going to be interesting to see how we get on against Frankel. It’s going to be tough to beat him, but stranger things have happened.

“I suppose if we run a good race and we’re placed behind him it will be a good run. We’ll just see how we get on.”

Put the pair in a field which also includes the English and Irish 2,000 Guineas runner-up Dubawi Gold, and Marco Botti’s touted Excelebration – the German 2,000 Guineas winner who was second to Frankel in the Greenham Stakes – and it could be quite a contest.

Strong North Yorkshire Ascot tilt

RICHARD Fahey, who notched his third Royal Ascot winner last year when Marine Commando won the Windsor Castle Stakes, could have a strong team contesting some of the week’s feature contests.

Aside from Wootton Bassett’s St James’s Palace Stakes battle, the Musley Bank handler has also entered sprinter Rose Blossom in both the King’s Stand Stakes, on the opening day of the meeting on June 14, and the Golden Jubilee Stakes, which features on the closing day a week on Saturday.

Barefoot Lady, the Nell Gwyn Stakes winner who was so close to Musidora Stakes glory at York Racecourse last month, has an entry in the Coronation Stakes.

Fahey has six currently engaged in Wednesday’s Royal Hunt Cup with another three, Sir Reginald, Johannes and Prime Exhibit, in the hunt for the Wokingham on June 18.

It may be a strong raiding party from North Yorkshire seeking Royal Ascot glory.

Hambleton trainer Bryan Smart has Tangerine Trees, the Palace House Stakes winner at Newmarket, in the King’s Stand Stakes and Middleham trainer Mark Johnston, always looking to get on the scoresheet at Royal Ascot, has a number of challengers throughout the five days.

Dordogne, the Listed Fielden Stakes and Lingfield Derby Trial winner, is one of six entries the master of Kingsley House currently has in the King Edward VII Stakes on Friday, June 17.