Frankel's Desert Castle lays down Classic marker in the Gr.2 Champagne Stakes

Frankel juvenile Desert Castle delivered on his debut promise when running out an emphatic winner of Saturday's Gr.2 Champagne Stakes over seven furlongs  at Doncaster.

Taken from the European Bloodstock News, 13th September 2026:

The son of Frankel settled at the rear under Billy Loughnane, who had already won the opening Doncaster maiden contest for Appleby and Godolphin aboard Al Jabbar. The pair made stylish progress to strike the front over a furlong from home and, despite hanging left in the closing stages, forged three lengths clear of the pacesetting Sergei Diaghilev. The Cracksman colt Breacher was a further length and three quarters adrift back in third.

Still unbeaten, Desert Castle has won both of his starts with the minimum of fuss; his maiden victory coming by three and a half lengths over 7f at Newmarket last month. He holds an entry for next month’s Gr.1 Darley Dewhurst Stakes and has also emerged as one of the leading candidates for the 2027 Gr.1 2,000 Guineas.

A Godolphin homebred, he is a full brother to the Gr.1 Jebel Hatta Stakes winner Dream Castle and the dual Meydan Gr.2 winner and three times Gr.1 runner-up With The Moonlight, as well as a half-brother to three other winners, out of the Gr.2 Flying Childers Stakes victrix Sand Vixen.