Frankel
Next Saturday sees the running of the Gr1 QIPCO Champion Stakes at Ascot. This 2000m race, while something of a forgotten cousin to the Arc de Triomphe and Breeders Cup races, has a long history and an impressive list of past winners.
In 2012, Galileo colts, Frankel and Nathaniel, finished first and third before retiring to stud duties at Banstead Manor and Newsells Park. Both had their first yearlings sell this year, and both paternal half brothers proved popular at last week’s Tattersalls October Yearling Sale (Book 1). The unbeaten Frankel, regarded by many as the finest thoroughbred of all time, had nine lots sell for a gross total of 4,005,000 guineas at the impressive average of 445,000 guineas, while King George/Eclipse Stakes winner, Nathaniel, had 13 first crop yearlings fetch a total of 3,026,000 guineas at an average price of 232,769 guineas. Frankel’s top lot was a colt out of Dar Re Mi who sold for 750 000 guineas, while his paternal half brother’s top yearling was a colt out of Danehill Dreamer who fetched 675,000 guineas.
Family affair
The Champion Stakes became something of a family affair when Frankel’s own brother Noble Mission won the race two years after his famous brother. It was not the first time siblings had dominated the race, however, with the half brothers, Lemberg and Bayardo, winning the Champion Stakes from 1909-1911. In 1924 the Champion Stakes was landed by Derby runner up Pharos (Phalaris), while the latter’s champion full brother, Fairway, won the race twice, in1928 and 1929. Between them, Fairway and Pharos would head the General Sires List in Great Britain on five occasions. Pharos’ name dominates the modern thoroughbred, with his son Nearco having foundered one of the greatest male lines of all time. Pharos is male line ancestor of today’s greatest stallions, including Galileo, Tapit, Giant’s Causeway, Sadler’s Wells, Storm Cat, Danehill, and Zabeel, to name but a few.
Inaugural winner
The Champion Stakes was first run in 1877, when it was won by Springfield. A top class performer, who reeled off 14 wins in a row, Springfield won 17 of 19 outings with his other victories including a pair of wins in the July Cup. At stud, Springfield left his mark, siring Epsom Derby winner, Sainfoin, (sire of Triple Crown winner, Rock Sand), the great broodmare, Morganette (dam of two Epsom Derby winners), and Sierra. The latter was dam of the great Sundridge, a triple July Cup winner and hugely influential stallion. Ironically, Sundridge was sired by Amphion, winner of the Champion Stakes himself in 1890.
Ormonde
Ormonde
One of the race’s very finest winners was Ormonde, successful in all 16 of his racetrack outings. Not only did the son of Bend Or win the 2000 Guineas, Derby and St Leger, Ormonde also landed the Champion Stakes and July Cup. His son Orme went on to emulate his sire when he won the Champion Stakes in 1891.
Orme, who became Champion Sire in 1899, sired the great Triple Crown winner and important sire Flying Fox, as well as Epsom/Irish Derby winner Orby, who sired the great filly Diadem and important sprint influence The Boss.
Female winners
The race has also been won by some of the greatest females ever to grace the turf. In 1894, the winner was La Fleche (St Simon), who was in foal to Ascot Gold Cup winner Morion at the time. The full sister to Oaks winner, Memoir, retired having won 16 races, including the 1000 Guineas, Oaks and St Leger. At stud, La Fleche produced 2000 Guineas/Derby runner up John O’Gaunt (Isinglass), who went on to sire St Leger winner and champion sire Swynford. She is also the second dam of 1000 Guineas winner and successful producer Cinna (Polymelus) and she is the tail line ancestor of the great champion Sunday Silence (Halo), one of the greatest stallions of the 20th century.
Other great females to have won the race include Sceptre and Pretty Polly, as well as Rockfel (1938), Bella Paola (1958), Petite Etoile (1959), Time Charter (1983), Pebbles (1986) and Indian Skimmer (1988), while in more recent years the Champion Stakes has been won by Triptych (Riverman) and Alborada (Alzao). Remarkably, females won the Champion Stakes seven times in the 1980’s.
Males to have won the Champion Stakes on more than one occasion include the great champion Brigadier Gerard (1971-1972), Fairway, Velasquez (1897-1898), Lemberg, and exciting young South African sire, Twice Over (2009-2010).
Sire maker
The race has also been won by some of history’s greatest stallions. The temperamental Nasrullah won in 1943 before retiring to a stud career which saw him establish himself as one of the greatest stallions of all time. Not only did Nasrullah head the British General Sires List in 1951, his sons Never Say Die (1962) and Never Bend (1971) also went on to be champion sires in the UK. Nasrullah, who headed the US General Sires List five times, left behind an array of champions including the above mentioned pair of Never Say Die and Never Bend, as well as Bold Ruler, Bald Eagle, Jaipur, Nashua, and Noor. Nasrullah’s male line remains potent today through the descendants of his sons Bold Ruler, Grey Sovereign and Red God.
Another great sire to win the race was Court Martial, who scored in 1945. Champion sire in 1956 and 1957, Court Martial made a name for himself as a top class sire of two year old talent and also became a great broodmare sire, (among others, he is damsire of multiple champion sire, Lyphard). Other winners of the race to leave their mark on the stud book include Honeyway (sire of the champion sire Great Nephew (himself sire of Derby winners Grundy and Shergar), Lorenzaccio (sire of the top class but ill-fated sire, Ahonoora), Reform, Sir Ivor (sire of outstanding sire Sir Tristram and damsire of Green Desert among others), and leading broodmare sire, Big Game. Djeddah, who won in 1949, is another past winner found in many modern pedigrees – his daughter Lalun is dam of leading sire Never Bend as well as Bold Reason, broodmare sire of Sadler’s Wells and Fairy King.
Among recent winners of the race, arguably the most successful winner has been champion New Approach (Galileo), whose first crop produced a pair of English classic winners in Dawn Approach and Talent. At the time of writing, New Approach has been represented by 10 black type winners in 2015.
