Chaldean

Widely regarded as the best European racehorse of the modern era, Frankel’s unbeaten stretch of 14 races, ten of them at Group 1 level, was the longest seen in Europe since Ribot, foaled in 1952. A Champion two-year-old who became to be as equally dominant over mile and a quarter as he was over a mile, he was awarded a Timeform rating of 147, the highest in the organisation’s history. “He’s the best I’ve ever had and the best I’ve ever seen, I’d be very surprised if there’s ever been better,” commented his trainer Sir Henry Cecil.

When it comes to a second career at stud, however, such brilliance can lead to inflated expectations. Yet ten years on from his retirement to Banstead Manor Stud, Frankel has answered every question asked of him in that department, his reputation as a consistent source of Group 1 talent over a range of distances, ages and conditions firmly underlined by his place as a champion sire of Britain and Ireland.

In 2021, Frankel became the first British-based sire to be crowned the champion of Britain and Ireland in 24 years, when Mill Reef posthumously led the standings, thereby breaking the domination of his late sire Galileo, the 12-time champion. He was also Europe’s leading sire that year, and as it stands, he will repeat the trick in 2023 with a collection of 30 European stakes winners - more than any other sire - contributing to another outstanding season.

Chaldean, as winner of the 2,000 Guineas, played an extremely important role in Frankel’s year. Overall, his progeny won 14 Group/Grade 1 races in 2023 ranging from two-year-old Ylang Ylang in the Fillies’ Mile to three-year-old Soul Sister, winner of the Oaks. French three-year-olds Kelina and Jannah Rose also struck in the 7f Prix de la Foret and 1m2f Prix Saint-Alary while the accomplished older horses Inspiral, Mostahdaf, Westover, Nashwa and Courage Mon Ami collectively turned in sparkling performances from a mile to extended distances. It’s a powerful collection of horses and one that complements his overall record which currently consists of 124 stakes winners, among them 33 Group/Grade 1 scorers including the British Classic winners Chaldean, Adayar, Anapurna, Soul Sister, Logician and Hurricane Lane.

Therein lies a snapshot of Frankel as a sire; not only is he a regular contributor of class, as illustrated by his 13% black-type winners to foals of racing age ratio, but his progeny tend to be tough, versatile and sound. They can be excellent at two, as illustrated in recent seasons by Chaldean, Inspiral and Ylang Ylang, but many of them also possess the constitution to hold their form as time goes on. There is perhaps no better example of that than Kirsten Racing’s exceptional mare Alpinista, whose unbeaten run of six Group 1 victories was capped by the 2022 Arc.

Now the next chapter is being written as various sons of Frankel head to stud. One of the first, dual Champion Stakes winner Cracksman, couldn’t have made a better start as the sire of unbeaten Arc hero Ace Impact out of his first crop, something that should bode well for the future prospects of Frankel’s other sire sons.