Bettors suspected something was afoot and hammered the Godolphin homebred Desert Castle (Frankel) into 1-2 favouritism for Friday evening's Zyn Frontrunner EBF Newcomers' Confined Maiden Stakes at Newmarket, and the imposing bay duly delivered in eyecatching fashion to earn a TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard, on debut.He becomes the 51st Rising Star for his sire.The Charlie Appleby trainee, a G2 Champagne Stakes and G1 Vincent O'Brien National Stakes entry, was a shade hesitant from the stalls and tanked along behind the leaders in fifth through the initial factions of the seven-furlong contest.Cruising forward hard on the steel from halfway, he seized control soon after passing the quarter-mile marker and surged clear, despite drifting left on the climb, to easily overpower Sommood (Kingman) by an impressive 3 1/2 lengths.Desert Castle is the 11th of one dozen foals and sixth scorer out of G2 Flying Childers victrix Sand Vixen (Dubawi), herself a half-sister to Listed-winning G3 Greenham third So Will I (Inchinor) and to the dams of the G3 Prix Eclipse runner-up King Of Spades (Foxwedge) and the stakes-placed Irish Gent (Ten Sovereigns).He is a full-brother to G1 Jebel Hatta hero Dream Castle, the multiple Grade I-placed G2 Cape Verdi and G2 Balanchine victrix With The Moonlight and a yearling colt. Impressive Desert Castle (Frankel) makes a winning start for Charlie Appleby, @loughnane_billy and @godolphin in the @NewmarketRace opener pic.twitter.com/WtWDfZTekB— Racing TV (@RacingTV) August 7, 2026 1st-Newmarket, £13,000, Mdn, 8-7, 2yo, 7fT, 1:25.91, g/f.DESERT CASTLE (GB), c, 2, by Frankel (GB) 1st Dam: Sand Vixen (GB) (GSW-Eng), by Dubawi (Ire) 2nd Dam: Fur Will Fly (GB), by Petong (GB) 3rd Dam: Bumpkin (GB), by Free State (Ire)Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, £6,700. *Full to Dream Castle (GB), G1SW-UAE, MGSP-Eng & GSP-Tur; and With The Moonlight (Ire), GSW & MGISP-US, MGSW-UAE, SW-Eng, GISP-Can. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.O/B-Godolphin; T-Charlie Appleby; J-Billy Loughnane.The post Frankel’s Desert Castle Impresses With TDN Rising Star Display at HQ appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.