Goodbye Frankel.

Today will mark the end of an era when the book is closed on a glittering career of a horse that has captured a nation’s hearts. That horse goes by the name; Frankel.

Frankel’s dam Kind, was a mare by Danehill, and his sire was the mighty Galileo who himself won 6 of his 8 races which included The English and Irish Derby’s. 

Named after an American trainer who had one been described as “one of the most successful and respected trainers, in the history of thoroughbred racing."  Robert Julian Frankel. Frankel was always destined for great things.

The bay colt, born the 11^th of February 2008, first stepped onto a racecourse at Newmarket in a 1 mile Maiden on the 13^th August 2010, the ground was soft that day, and he came up against another 2 year old that went by the name of Nathaniel, and Nathaniel is probably the closes any horse has come to ever beating Frankel, Frankel won by half a length that day. Another horse in that race, which came 2^nd from last, was another unknown 2 year old that goes by the name of Colour Vision.

Frankel finished his 2 year old career by winning the Group 1 Dewhurst. 4 races unbeaten. He started his 3 year old campaign in the Group 3 Greenham Stakes winning by 4 lengths and beating a horse that was to become one of his regular rivals, the Aiden O’Brien trained Excelebration. His next race was the 2000 Guineas; this is where he seemed to catapult himself into the hearts of the racing world. He led the field from start to finish and won by 6 lengths. The feat was unbelievable and staggering, and gave him instant ‘superstar’ status.

Many thought Frankel would head straight to the Derby, he had been favourite for a while, but his trainer Sir Henry Cecil had stamina doubts, and he bypassed the Derby and went for the St James Palace Stakes instead, and then went on to take the Sussex Stakes and Queen Elizabeth II stakes. Finishing his 3 year old campaign on 9 wins unbeaten.

Starting his 4 year old campaign, Frankel seemed to relax more in his racing. Settling well behind his half-brother and pacemaker Bullet Train, he won the Lockinge Stakes by 5 lengths. There became a lot of interest in a possible clash between Frankel and an Australian superstar; Black Caviar. But Sir Henry was insistent that Frankel would be stepping up in distance, not down. And Black Caviar would not run over 6f, according to her owners. Frankel was entered in the Queen Anne Stakes at Ascot, which he won by 11 lengths, while Black Caviar was entered later that week and ended up winning by a nose. 

Frankel then went on to win the Sussex Stakes for the 2^nd time taking his record to 11 unbeaten. Then the racing world held its breath when Frankel was finally stepped up to 1m 2f, in the Juddmonte. Once again, he showed how amazing he was and when Tom Queally, asked the question, Frankel responded immediately and devastatingly, he left a high class field trailing in his wake and won by 7 lengths.

Today he is entered in the Champion Stakes, again over 1m 2f. Fittingly his rival in his very first race Nathaniel will race against him again today in his last ever race. And he has a French rival called Cirrus Des Aigles, who could provide his most serious rival ever. But no matter what happens today, this ‘superstar’ valued at £100 million will retire to stud and hopefully will produce superstars of the future, but one thing that will never happen, and that is we will never forget the mighty Frankel.