Frankel

When Prince Abdullah wanted to name a horse after his late trainer Bobby Frankel who had died in the November of 2009 the pick of his yearling crop was a handsome bay colt by Galileo out of Kind. This colt would carry the name Frankel and was sent to Warren Place to be trained under the watchful eye of Henry Cecil.

Frankel soon established himself as the best of the Cecil bunch and it was with a great deal of confidence that he was sent in the August of his 2-year-old to make his racecourse debut under Tom Queally at Newmarket’s July Course. His defeat of future Group 1 winner Nathanial started a 14-race unbeaten campaign.

Stephen recalls

“In my position as farrier at Warren Place I would accompany our horses when they galloped, that way I was on hand if a problem was to occur. Over the years, I have observed many horses gallop, but Frankel was notable from the beginning. I have never seen another horse move so effortlessly or accelerate so powerfully. I recall proclaiming after watching his final gallop before his racecourse debut that this was the best horse I had ever worked with” 

Frankel ended his career as one of the all-time greats, a horse that transcended racing.

European Champion at 2, World champion at 3 and 4 Frankel was sublime. The winner of 5 prestigious Cartier awards, rated 147 by Timeform, he also achieved the highest speed figures ever recorded.

Frankel brought racing to the front pages, along with his extraordinary ability he was trained by the much-loved Sir Henry Cecil who was fighting cancer and together they ignited a passion in public. This was particularly evident when the Queen's Guard adorned the famous pink and green silks of Frankel's owner Prince Abdullah in the build up to his final race. 

That race in the rain softened Ascot ground showcased that Frankel had the courage to go along with his ability and he won readily in ground that was not to his liking. 

Many pages could be written about his exploits on the track, but we will finish with the words of his trainer Sir Henry Cecil who sadly passed away little more than 6 months after the retirement of his beloved horse.

“He is the best I’ve had, The best I’ve seen, I’d be surprised if there ever was better”

- Sir Henry Cecil