Unbeaten in a spectacular 14-race career, Frankel was one of the greatest racehorses of all time – and now he is the world’s #1 stallion according to Thoroughbred Racing Commentary’s Global Rankings. Nancy Sexton examines a stellar stud career
The weight of expectation can often be a burden, especially in an industry where hype is never far away.
It’s a double-edged sword, with the attention garnered by champion racehorses invariably guaranteeing a wealth of opportunity when their turn comes at stud. On the other hand, there is a long way to fall should that horse in any way not live up to expectations.
No horse’s stud career has been as keenly followed in recent years as that belonging to Frankel. His 14 straight victories for Sir Henry Cecil, many of them by wide margins in the best company that the era had to offer, prompted a Timeform rating of 147 and drew comparisons with many greats of the past. For some, he stands alone as the benchmark for excellence. It stood to reason that his stud career would become the subject of intense scrutiny.
Over a decade on from his retirement to Prince Khalid Abdullah’s Banstead Manor Stud in Newmarket and Frankel is well established as a champion sire, one capable of impacting a range of jurisdictions across both hemispheres. Not only that, there are also early indications that his influence will continue to grow both as a sire of sires and damsire.
For all his brilliance as a racehorse, Frankel did not initially escape some of the harsh realities of the commercial market. As his first stock went through the ring, there were murmurings that this horse – himself a very good-looking, flamboyant individual – was not stamping his progeny, an aspect to a young sire that stockmen like to see.
Then as his runners began to represent him to good effect on the track, suspicions remained in some quarters from those keen to highlight his success in relation to the opportunities that had come his way.
Yes, Frankel did receive every opportunity as would be expected from a champion starting out at a fee of £125,000, especially one under the management of Juddmonte, an operation that is renowned for throwing its weight behind its young stallions.
However, not every high-profile name is capable of making the most of his chances. Frankel is one that has – and more.
His stud career so far consists of 27 G1 scorers, including the winners of eight European Classics. He operates at a 12% Group winners-to-runners and 17% black-type winners -to-runners strike-rate; he is the fastest stallion in history to sire 50 Group or Graded stakes winners and last summer joined Danehill as the co-fastest sire to reach 100 stakes winners, achieving the feat in 2,402 days.
In 2021, he was Britain and Ireland’s champion stallion, breaking the domination of his own sire Galileo and ending a drought for British-based champions that stretched back to Mill Reef 34 years earlier.
Mill Reef gained his 1987 title posthumously, primarily in recognition of the Classic achievements of his son Reference Point. As such, one actually had to go back to 1985 for the last living British-based sire, Kris – like Frankel, trained by Sir Henry Cecil.
Last week, Frankel also broke new ground to reach the top of the Thoroughbred Racing Commentary Global Rankings for sires, thereby overhauling the likes of Dubawi, Into Mischief and Galileo in the process.
That latest achievement is reflective of another excellent season, one that already consists of 15 stakes winners worldwide led by 2000 Guineas winner Chaldean and Epsom Classic hopefuls Arrest, Military Order and Soul Sister.
There is a consistency to Frankel’s record that bears the hallmark of past champion sires. Every one of his first seven crops contains at least two G1 winners. His first, born in 2014, set a high bar as the source of six such animals, ranging from champion Japanese two-year-old Soul Stirring to dual G1 Champion Stakes winner Cracksman and top stayer Call The Wind.
A pair of top-class milers in Without Parole and Veracious arrived in his second while those born in 2016 included the British Classic winners Anapurna (Oaks) and Logician (St Leger). Kirsten Rausing’s outstanding mare Alpinista, whose six G1 victories included last year’s Arc, featured among his fourth crop alongside the G1 Fillies’ Mile heroine Quadrilateral.
Those crops bred in the aftermath of his good start have been even more successful. The Epsom and Irish Derby winners Adayar, who followed up in the G1 King George, and Hurricane Lane, also successful in the G1 Grand Prix de Paris and G1 St Leger, were the headline acts of a memorable 2018 crop of 21 stakes winners (and counting) that helped propel Frankel to his first championship title.
Yet even better was to come out of the following year’s crop, bred in his first season at £175,000. Out of 150 foals, 23 (15%) are already stakes winners, among them Classic winners Homeless Songs (Irish 1,000 Guineas), Westover (Irish Derby) and Nashwa (Prix de Diane) alongside champion Inspiral, leading American turf filly McKulick and top French colt Onesto.
They helped to contribute to a season in 2022 during which Frankel was represented by nine G1 winners, more than any other stallion. Juddmonte’s G1 Dewhurst Stakes winner Chaldean also did his bit for the two-year-old generation – and as anticipated has gone on to become an admirable flagbearer this spring, with his victory in the 2000 Guineas likely setting the scene for a productive summer.
With other sons Military Order and Arrest – successful in the Lingfield Derby Trial (Listed) and G3 Chester Vase respectively – both firmly in the Derby picture and daughter Soul Sister emerging as a strong Oaks candidate thanks to her victory in the G3 Musidora Stakes, Frankel is due to be again well represented in the Epsom Classics.
Another three-year-old, Jannah Rose, is also flying high in France; she recently became his 27th G1 winner in the Prix Saint-Alary. All in all, Frankel is going to be once again a leading player when it comes to championship sire honours at the end of the year.
One of Frankel's great strengths is his ability to throw horses effective in differing racing jurisdictions, all of which helps boost his commercial appeal. He is a favourite in Japan, where Soul Stirring, Mozu Ascot and Grenadier Guards have each struck at the top level; Mozu Ascot now stands at Arrow Stud, where he has covered over 300 mares in his first two seasons.
There is also his record to consider in the US, where a ten-strong group of stakes winners are highlighted by the deeds of McKulick, successful in last year’s G1 Belmont Oaks Invitational.
There there is Australia, where G1 performers such as Hungry Heart, Converge, Mirage Dancer, King Frankel,My Whisper and Frankly Awesome have made him a go-to option for southern hemisphere breeders operating in Europe. Only last week, Let’sbefrankbaby became his 16th Australian stakes winner when taking the G3 Ken and Helen Smith Sa Classic at Morphettville.
That particular filly is inbred 2x3 to Galileo, while Onesto carries 3x3 inbreeding to Urban Sea, being the son of a Sea The Stars mare. Yet Frankel’s overall stud record paints the picture of a horse who clicks with a wide variety of mares.
For instance, G1 winners have hailed from those belonging to the Roberto, Sharpen Up, Caro and Monsun lines but there is no escaping his affinity for Dubawi, a partnership that has already provided seven stakes winners including the highly talented brothers Adayar and Military Order (out of Anna Salai) as well as Homeless Songs and Dream Castle. McKulick is also out of a mare by the Dubawi stallion Makfi.
All that aside, Frankel would not be in the position that he is today without the ability to consistently to throw not only a good percentage of talented horses but those with the toughness of body and mind to cope, something that is typical to varying degrees of the Galileo sire line. They tend to be big-striding, willing horses often with the scope to train on; rarely do you see a Frankel not improve with racing.
Looking further down the line, we are already seeing his legacy spread in different directions, notably through his first major son to stud in Cracksman, whose highly promising start at Dalham Hall Stud encompasses five first-crop stakes winners. He is also becoming a broodmare sire of note with his daughters responsible for the likes of last year’s G3 Jersey Stakes winner Noble Truth and the Listed-winning, 2000 Guineas fourth Eydon.
With many of his daughters extremely well-bred individuals in good hands, expect that side of his influence to rapidly grow. In the meantime, there is the very real chance of him throwing another Epsom Derby winner and beyond that, the prospect of another champion sires’ title.
• Visit the Juddmonte website
Frankel takes over from Dubawi as world’s #1 sire on current global rankings
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