Second Sires' Championship for Frankel

Frankel has recaptured the crown he first wore in 2021 and is the Champion sire in Britain and Ireland for 2023, as well as being the leading sire in Europe, for the second time.

Taken from the Thoroughbred Daily News, 29th December 2023, by Emma Berry:

Whether or not he will be able to emulate the long reigns of his sire Galileo and grandsire Sadler's Wells remains to be seen, but it would be unwise to bet against it. Yes, Frankel's launch into his stud career was the stallion equivalent of being born with a silver spoon in his mouth, so great was the support from major international breeders from the outset, but there have been plenty of examples of that not equating to a horse becoming a top sire. Frankel is just that, any way you look at it.

He is quickly being joined at stud by a number of his best sons, and there are plenty to choose from. This year alone in Britain, the trio of Chaldean, Mostahdaf and Triple Time join the Newmarket powerhouses of Juddmonte, Shadwell and Darley, while Onesto is now at Haras d'Etreham in France. Irish Derby winner Hurricane Lane joins the National Hunt ranks where St Leger winner Logician already resides, and Derby winner Adayar and another Irish Derby winner, Westover, have headed east to Japan.

That's seven new Group 1-winning sons of Frankel in one year's intake alone. Frankel has won this year's championship in a manner not dissimilar to his performances on the track: by a wide margin. His progeny earnings in Britain and Ireland of just over £7 million put him almost £3 million clear of last year's champion Dubawi, with a margin of roughly £30,000 separating the runner-up and third-placed Dark Angel. In fact, it was pretty tightly packed among the first six horses in Frankel's wake.

To return to the champion momentarily, his 39 stakes winners worldwide in 2023 (23 in Britain and Ireland) included his 2,000 Guineas winner Chaldean, who now stands alongside him at Banstead Manor Stud, Soul Sister, who became his second winner of the Oaks, Inspiral, who recorded her sixth Group/Grade 1 win at Santa Anita at the Breeders' Cup, and her fellow Group 1 winners Nashwa and Jannah Rose. Three of these four fillies/mares remain in training, with Jannah Rose's immediate future yet to be decided.