Chapter 01
A Champion from the Beginning
Frankel was foaled on 11 February 2008 and bred by Juddmonte Farms. A bay son of the outstanding stallion Galileo and the mare Kind, he was owned by Khalid Abdullah, trained in Newmarket by Sir Henry Cecil and ridden throughout his racing career by Tom Queally.
He made his debut at Newmarket in August 2010 and immediately showed the promise that would define his career. Later that season he won the Royal Lodge Stakes by ten lengths before defeating another leading juvenile, Dream Ahead, in the Dewhurst Stakes.
Frankel ended his two-year-old season unbeaten and already regarded as one of the most exciting young horses in Europe.
Chapter 02
The 2000 Guineas
Frankel produced one of the most memorable Classic performances of modern times in the 2011 2000 Guineas at Newmarket. Rather than being restrained behind the leaders, he surged clear from the start and established an enormous advantage before halfway.
Although the field reduced the gap in the closing stages, Frankel still crossed the line six lengths ahead. The performance demonstrated both his exceptional cruising speed and his ability to sustain a demanding pace over a mile.
Further victories followed in the St James's Palace Stakes, the Sussex Stakes and the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes. His Sussex Stakes success was especially significant because he defeated the outstanding older miler Canford Cliffs.
Chapter 03
A Perfect Final Season
Frankel returned as a four-year-old in 2012 and remained undefeated. After winning the Lockinge Stakes, he delivered a breathtaking performance in the Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot, drawing eleven lengths clear of his rivals.
That performance helped earn Frankel a Timeform rating of 147, the highest rating the organisation had awarded. He then won a second Sussex Stakes before successfully stepping up from a mile to ten furlongs in the International Stakes at York.
His final appearance came in the Champion Stakes at Ascot. Despite slower ground and a slightly awkward start, Frankel defeated Cirrus des Aigles to complete a perfect career of 14 victories from 14 races.
Chapter 04
Record and Major Victories
Frankel won ten Group 1 races during his three seasons in training. His major victories included the Dewhurst Stakes, 2000 Guineas, St James's Palace Stakes, two Sussex Stakes, Queen Elizabeth II Stakes, Lockinge Stakes, Queen Anne Stakes, International Stakes and Champion Stakes.
His official race record was 14 starts and 14 wins. He was named European Horse of the Year in both 2011 and 2012 and was inducted into the British Champions Series Hall of Fame in 2021.
Frankel's undefeated record is impressive in itself, but the authority of many of his victories made him exceptional. He won over distances from seven furlongs to a mile and a quarter and repeatedly defeated elite opposition.
Chapter 05
Legacy at Stud
After retiring from racing, Frankel began his second career as a stallion at Juddmonte's Banstead Manor Stud near Newmarket. His offspring have succeeded at the highest level across a range of distances and in several major racing nations.
Among his best-known descendants are champions and major Group 1 winners such as Cracksman, Hurricane Lane, Inspiral and Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winner Alpinista. His success as a sire has strengthened his standing as one of the most influential thoroughbreds of his generation.
Frankel's career also remains closely associated with Sir Henry Cecil. Their partnership became one of racing's most admired stories, uniting an extraordinary horse with one of Britain's greatest trainers during the final years of Cecil's career.