Frankel (horse) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Frankel
Frankel in his second start at Doncaster
Sire	Galileo
Grandsire	Sadler's Wells
Dam	Kind
Damsire	Danehill
Sex	Stallion
Foaled	11 February 2008
Country	Great Britain
Colour	Bay
Breeder	Juddmonte Farms
Owner	Khalid Abdullah
Trainer	Sir Henry Cecil
Jockey	Tom Queally
Record	14: 14–0–0
Earnings	£2,998,302
Major wins
Royal Lodge Stakes (2010) Dewhurst Stakes (2010) Greenham Stakes (2011) 2000 Guineas Stakes (2011) St James's Palace Stakes (2011) Sussex Stakes (2011, 2012) Queen Elizabeth II Stakes (2011) Lockinge Stakes (2012) Queen Anne Stakes (2012) International Stakes (2012) Champion Stakes (2012)
Awards
World Thoroughbred Rankings Leader (2011, 2012) European Horse of the Year (2011, 2012) European Champion Two-Year-Old Colt (2010) European Champion Three-Year-Old Colt (2011) European Champion Older Horse (2012) British Champions Series Hall of Fame (2021) World Sire of the Year (2021) Leading sire in Great Britain and Ireland (2021, 2023) Timeform rating: 147

Frankel (born 11 February 2008) is a famous British Thoroughbred racehorse who retired from racing and is now a successful father to other racehorses. He won all fourteen of his races, never losing once! From May 2011, he was known as the best racehorse in the world.

Frankel was trained by Sir Henry Cecil in Newmarket and his jockey for every race was Tom Queally.

In 2010, as a young horse, Frankel won his first race. He then went on to win the Royal Lodge Stakes by a huge ten lengths and the Dewhurst Stakes. As a three-year-old, he won the important 2000 Guineas race by six lengths. He also won the St James's Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot and beat another top horse, Canford Cliffs, in the Sussex Stakes. He finished his three-year-old season by winning the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes.

Frankel kept his perfect record in 2012, winning the Lockinge Stakes and the Queen Anne Stakes. He then won the Sussex Stakes for a second time. In August, he raced over a longer distance for the first time and won the International Stakes at York. His last race was in October, when he won the Champion Stakes at Ascot. After this amazing win, he retired from racing.

Experts like Timeform rated Frankel as one of the best horses ever. In June 2012, they gave him a rating of 147, which was the highest rating in their history! The World Thoroughbred Racehorse Rankings Committee also said Frankel was the best racehorse they had ever rated since 1977.

Since retiring, Frankel has become a fantastic father to many winning racehorses. His children include famous Classic winners like Adayar and Hurricane Lane. He was the top father horse in Great Britain and Ireland in 2021.

About Frankel

Frankel is a bay horse, which means he is a reddish-brown color. He has a large white star on his forehead and a small white mark called a snip above his nose. He also has four white feet.

He was born at Juddmonte Farms and was owned by Khalid Abdullah. His trainer was Sir Henry Cecil. Frankel was named after a famous American horse trainer, Bobby Frankel.

Frankel's father was a champion horse named Galileo. His mother was a horse named Kind. Even though his father won a very long race called The Derby, some people wondered if Frankel would be good at long distances. Instead, he focused on races around one mile.

Frankel's mother, Kind, also had other successful children. His brother, Bullet Train, often helped Frankel practice for races. Another brother, Noble Mission, also became a Group 1 winner, just like Frankel.

Frankel's Racing Journey

2010: Two-Year-Old Races

Frankel started his racing career on 13 August 2010. He ran in a one-mile race at Newmarket. He started a bit slowly but quickly caught up and won easily.

Four weeks later, he raced at Doncaster. He won by a huge thirteen lengths, showing how fast he was!

Winning the Royal Lodge Stakes

On 25 September, Frankel raced in a Group race for the first time, the Juddmonte Royal Lodge Stakes at Ascot. He made a very fast move around the turn and won by ten lengths. Another horse who later won a big race was almost eleven lengths behind him. Everyone was very impressed!

Winning the Dewhurst Stakes

Frankel's last race of 2010 was the Dewhurst Stakes at Newmarket on 16 October. This was his first Group 1 race, which is the highest level of racing. Two other unbeaten horses were in the race. Frankel took the lead and won comfortably by over two lengths. His trainer, Sir Henry Cecil, said that Frankel got a bump at the start, which made him run very fast.

2011: Three-Year-Old Races

Winning the Greenham Stakes

Frankel's first race as a three-year-old was the Greenham Stakes at Newbury on 16 April. He won by four lengths, showing his amazing speed near the end of the race. His trainer believed he would get even better for his next big race.

Winning the 2000 Guineas Stakes

Frankel's racing colors, which belong to Prince Khalid Abdulla

On 30 April, Frankel was the biggest favorite in the 2000 Guineas race since 1974. He immediately took the lead, surprising many jockeys. He was about 15 lengths ahead halfway through the race and won by six lengths. This was the biggest winning margin in that race since 1947! People called his performance "barely believable" and said he was a "superstar."

Winning the St James's Palace Stakes

Many thought Frankel would run in the Epsom Derby, a very famous long race. But because of doubts about his stamina, he raced in the St James's Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot on 14 June instead. His jockey made him go very fast in the middle of the race, and Frankel opened up a big lead. However, another horse started to catch up, and Frankel only won by three-quarters of a length. Some people thought his jockey pushed him too hard, but his trainer said Frankel was just relaxing once he was in front.

Winning the Sussex Stakes

The Sussex Stakes on 27 July was a highly anticipated race, called "The Duel on the Downs." Frankel won by five lengths against Canford Cliffs, who was considered the world's best older miler. Frankel led the whole race. After this win, the British Horseracing Authority officially rated Frankel as the best racehorse in the world. His trainer, Sir Henry Cecil, said Frankel was the best horse he had ever seen.

Winning the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes

On 15 October, Frankel raced in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes. Even with his great reputation, many strong horses raced against him. But Frankel won by four lengths, beating other Group 1 winners. This was the third time he had beaten Excelebration. After this race, Timeform gave him a rating of 143, placing him fourth on their all-time list.

2012: Four-Year-Old Races

As a four-year-old, Frankel was expected to race over slightly longer distances. His trainer believed he would get even better and could easily handle a mile and a quarter.

Injury Scare

In April 2012, there were reports that Frankel had a minor injury. He had hit himself while training. Luckily, scans showed no serious damage, and he was able to return to training.

Winning the Lockinge Stakes

On 19 May, Frankel made his first appearance of the year in the Group 1 Lockinge Stakes at Newbury. He easily won by five lengths, beating his old rival Excelebration. His trainer said Frankel would likely improve even more as the season went on.

Winning the Queen Anne Stakes

On 19 June, Frankel started as a huge favorite in the Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot. He took the lead and won by an amazing eleven lengths! This performance was described as possibly the greatest in horse racing history. Timeform raised his rating to 147, making him the highest-rated horse in their history.

Winning the Sussex Stakes (Again!)

On 1 August, Frankel won the Sussex Stakes at Goodwood for the second time. He won by six lengths. This victory meant he equaled the record for winning seven Group 1 races in a row in Europe. He also became the first horse to win the Sussex Stakes twice. His jockey, Tom Queally, said Frankel was "a class apart from any other horse around."

Winning the Juddmonte International Stakes

Frankel goes to the post for the Juddmonte International at York, 2012

On 22 August, Frankel won the Juddmonte International Stakes at York. This race was over a longer distance than he had ever run before. Everyone was excited to see if he could handle it. He won easily by seven lengths! This was his eighth Group 1 win in a row, breaking the previous record. His trainer, Sir Henry Cecil, who had been unwell, said the win made him feel "twenty years better." Many experts said Frankel was likely the best racehorse the world had ever seen.

Winning the Champion Stakes

Frankel in the winners' enclosure at Ascot after winning his final race, the Champion Stakes

On 20 October, Frankel won his final race, the Champion Stakes at Ascot. The ground was very soft, which made it a tough race. Even though he started a bit slowly, he still won by almost two lengths. A huge crowd of 32,000 people cheered him on. After the race, his owner confirmed that Frankel would retire from racing.

His trainer, Sir Henry Cecil, said, "He's the best I've ever had, the best I've ever seen." Many people praised Cecil for how he trained Frankel, especially while he was battling cancer.

Frankel's Race Record

Awards and Achievements

In 2021, Frankel was one of the first horses to be added to the British Champions Series Hall of Fame. In 2023, readers of Racing Post voted him the "People's Champion."

Frankel's Life as a Sire

Frankel now lives at Banstead Manor Stud in Cheveley, where he was born. He started his new job as a sire (father horse) in February 2013. His job is to have foals (baby horses) that can become great racehorses too.

In his first year, he had 126 foals. One of his first foals, a colt named Cunco, won his first race in May 2016. Frankel's children started winning big races in 2016 and 2017. His daughter Soul Stirring won a Grade 1 race in Japan. His son Cracksman won the Champion Stakes in 2017.

By 2018, Frankel had become a very successful sire. His children were winning many Group races. His son Cracksman won the Champion Stakes again, just like Frankel did!

In 2021, Frankel was the top sire in Great Britain and Ireland. His children earned over £5.2 million! His most famous children that year were Adayar and Hurricane Lane, who won important races like the Epsom Derby and Irish Derby. In 2022, his daughter Alpinista won the very prestigious Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.

Notable Children of Frankel

Here are some of Frankel's most famous children and the big races they have won: