NORTH Yorkshire had no joy on the opening day of Royal Ascot – but racing in the region could be buoyed by an appearance at York of horse of the moment Frankel.

Trainer Sir Henry Cecil said Frankel could be set to race in the Juddmonte International on Knavesmire during York’s Ebor Festival in August, after watching him win the St James’s Palace Stakes at Ascot yesterday.

The 30-100 favourite followed up his magical 2000 Guineas success with another notable victory in yesterday’s mile-long feature race, under jockey Tom Queally.

And while he appeared to tread water in the final furlong before finishing three-quarters of a length ahead of Zoffany, with Excelebration third, Cecil reckoned he was not flagging and might now be considered for a longer trip.

“Obviously the pacemaker went off very fast and he had to ask him to take it up,” he said. “Tom said when he was in front a furlong out he thought he’d done enough. He said he was getting really idle which is good in a way as it means we can ride a normal race on him.

“The plan was to kick on rounding the bend as he had done in the Royal Lodge (here) last year, but now he’s getting wiser and he thought he’d done enough, rather like in the Guineas. He wasn’t at all tired, he just thought he’d done enough.”

Cecil added: “I think it’s inevitable we’ll meet Canford Cliffs and Goldikova somewhere, unless this horse goes over a mile and a quarter which would be the Juddmonte International. Maybe the Sussex or the Juddmonte, we’ll see.”

Musley Bank trainer Richard Fahey’s big hope, Wootton Bassett, meanwhile, trailed in seventh of nine runners, having been the joint-third favourite at 12-1, and jockey Paul Hanagan reckons he might be given shorter tests from now on.

“We might consider a drop in trip after evaluating this performance,” he said.

Stablemates Gabrial, Lexington Spirit and Worthington, along with Palomor, trained by Norton handler Brian Ellison, also finished out of the places in their respective races.