The thoroughbred industry lost its greatest stallion this past year, with the passing of Galileo in July.
The greatest sire son of the legendary Sadler’s Wells, Galileo’s death at the age of 23 ended a notable era in the world of bloodstock.
Perhaps fittingly, however, it was Galileo’s unbeaten son Frankel who dominated at the top level in 2021.
Frankel (photo: Juddmonte)
The Champion Sire of GB for 2021, Frankel (who is set to stand for a fee of 200 000 pounds in 2022), had an exceptional year – even by his own tremendous standards.
When Frankel’s unbeaten two-year-old daughter Inspiral won the 8 October Gr1 bet365 Fillies’ Mile, she became her sire’s 20th individual G1 winner (Inspiral is also the second daughter of Frankel to win the Fillies’ Mile with the Frankel sired Quadrilateral having won the Fillies’ Mile back in 2019).
His progeny shown over a range of trips this year, from daughters Inspiral, Snow Lantern (Falmouth Stakes) and Wild Beauty (Natalma Stakes) all capturing G1 races over a mile, to son Hurricane Lane landing the 2021 St Leger over 2921 metres.
In total, Frankel has supplied eight Gr1 winners in 2021, with that tally including Adayar- victorious in both the Gr1 Cazoo Derby and G1 King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Qipco Stakes.
Dual Gr1 star Adayar
Adayar is one of two Gr1 winners that Frankel has sired thus far produced by a daughter of Dubawi, with Dubawi also damsire of Frankel’s 2021 G3 Darley Stakes winner Mostahdaf.
Other Gr1 winners representing Frankel this past year include the aforementioned Hurricane Lane – also victorious in both the G1 Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby and Gr1 Grand Prix de Paris – triple German Gr1 winner Alpinista, and Australian Gr1 winners Converge (Treasury Brisbane J.J. Atkins) and Hungry Heart (The Star Australian Oaks, Vinery Stud Stakes).
While many outstanding racehorses fail to live up to high expectations when retired to stud, it is safe to say that Frankel has met the lofty expectations set when he retired to Banstead Manor in 2012.
The champion has already sired 83 stakes winners, with Frankel’s tally of British classic winners standing at one Derby winner, two St Leger winners and the Oaks winning Anapurna while his daughter Inspiral has been installed as favourite for the 2022 1000 Guineas and Oaks.
Classy Cracksman
Frankel also looks poised to make his mark as a sire of sires, with his four-time Gr1 winning son Cracksman (bred on similar lines to Alpinista) having first crop yearlings make up to 410 000 guineas this year.
While it is safe to say that Frankel has received every chance at stud in terms of quality of mare that he has covered, his statistics clearly indicate he has more than merited those opportunities.
Already represented in South Africa by the stakes winning Miss Frankel, as well a handful of other winners, it is hopefully only a matter of time before Frankel has a sire son standing at stud in this country.
