RACING: Riding shotgun with Frankel

He’s not a man for the media circus, but Tom Queally’s Dungarvan grounding helps him appreciate the special things in life, such as the greatest horse of all time.

YOU’D expect him to be above this. Sure enough, Tom Queally’s is a job tethered to an earthy humbleness and a flat, heavy understatement when placed alongside other professional sports. But he still manages to surprise you with his priorities. You’ve just finished talking about Frankel, the last race, his perfect 14-0 record, his precise placing amongst the stars and what it was like to sit aboard such a devastating beast, when he turns the tables and has a question for you.

“Can you do me a favour?” he asks.