Frankel: The Complete Guide
The greatest racehorse of the modern era. Everything you need to know about his racing career, breeding, and remarkable legacy.
Quick Facts
Born: 11 February 2008, Juddmonte Farms, Newmarket
Sire: Galileo | Dam: Kind (by Danehill)
Trainer: Sir Henry Cecil | Jockey: Tom Queally (all 14 races)
Career Record: 14 wins from 14 starts (2010-2012)
Group 1 Wins: 10 | Prize Money: £2,998,302
Timeform Rating: 147 (highest ever recorded)
Standing at: Banstead Manor Stud, Newmarket | Stud Fee: £350,000 (2025)
Contents
- Introduction
- Breeding and Pedigree
- Racing Career
- Complete Race Record
- Frankel at Ascot
- The Timeform 147 Rating
- The Human Story: Cecil, Queally, and Abdullah
- Stud Career
- Meeting Frankel
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Related Guides
Introduction
Frankel is widely regarded as the greatest racehorse of the modern era. His unbeaten record of 14 wins from 14 starts between 2010 and 2012 remains unmatched at the highest level. His Timeform rating of 147 is the highest ever awarded, surpassing legends like Sea Bird and Brigadier Gerard.
Named after American trainer Bobby Frankel, this son of Galileo captivated racing audiences with displays of raw power and breathtaking acceleration. Under the guidance of the legendary Sir Henry Cecil during the trainer’s battle with cancer, Frankel became more than a racehorse. He became a symbol of excellence and perseverance.
Today, Frankel stands at Banstead Manor Stud in Newmarket, home of Juddmonte, where he has become one of the most influential sires in thoroughbred breeding. He has sired 40 individual Group 1 winners and counting, including Classic winners across Europe, Japan, and Australia.
Breeding and Pedigree
Frankel’s breeding represented a masterstroke of genetic planning. His sire Galileo won the Epsom Derby, Irish Derby, and King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes in 2001 before becoming the dominant stallion of his generation. Galileo was crowned champion sire in Britain and Ireland twelve times between 2010 and 2021.
His dam Kind was a Listed sprint winner and daughter of Danehill, another prolific sire known for producing speed-oriented progeny. This combination of Galileo’s stamina and Kind’s agility created a horse with exceptional genetic makeup for racing excellence.
The Galileo-Danehill cross proved remarkably successful. It also produced Group 1 winners Teofilo, Golden Lilac, and Roderic O’Connor. Frankel is inbred 3 × 4 to Northern Dancer, meaning Northern Dancer appears once in the third generation and once in the fourth generation of his pedigree.
Family Connections
Kind proved herself an exceptional broodmare. Frankel’s three-parts brother Bullet Train won the Group 3 Lingfield Derby Trial and served as his regular pacemaker throughout his career. His full brother Noble Mission won three Group 1 races for Lady Jane Cecil after Sir Henry’s death, including the Champion Stakes at Ascot. Kind also produced Listed winner Joyeuse.
Racing Career
Frankel’s racing career spanned three seasons from August 2010 to October 2012. He won all 14 of his races, including 10 at Group 1 level. Nine of those Group 1 victories came consecutively from the 2000 Guineas in April 2011 to the Champion Stakes in October 2012.
Two-Year-Old Season (2010)
Even before Frankel reached the racecourse, word had spread around Newmarket that Cecil had something special in his yard. The early morning gallops watchers who frequent the Heath had noticed a colt with exceptional movement and presence.
Frankel made his debut at Newmarket on 13 August 2010. He beat subsequent Group 1 winner Nathaniel by half a length in a maiden race. The two would face each other again in Frankel’s final career start.
His second start came in the Royal Lodge Stakes at Ascot in September. Frankel destroyed the field by ten lengths. This marked his first appearance at Ascot and gave the racing world a glimpse of what was to come. For those planning to visit Ascot today, the Frankel Lounge commemorates his connection to the track.
The Dewhurst Stakes at Newmarket in October concluded his juvenile campaign. He won comfortably by two and a quarter lengths from Middle Park Stakes winner Dream Ahead. After the race, jockey Tom Queally called him “a superstar… very special.” Frankel was immediately installed as odds-on favourite for the following year’s 2000 Guineas.
Three-Year-Old Season (2011)
The 2000 Guineas
After a four-length prep victory in the Greenham Stakes at Newbury, Frankel headed to the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket on 30 April. He was the shortest-priced favourite in the race since 1974 at odds of 1/2.
What followed was extraordinary. Frankel jumped straight to the lead and had the field struggling after just three furlongs. By halfway, he was 15 lengths clear. Commentators struggled to describe what they were witnessing. He won by six lengths, the biggest winning margin since Tudor Minstrel in 1947.
Queally reflected afterwards: “He’s made a show of them. The one thing this horse does is gallop. I didn’t want to disappoint him, I wanted him to do what he enjoys and he showed them. The first thing you think is what speed are we going, because to him it feels like a cruising canter.”
St James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot
The St James’s Palace Stakes on 14 June 2011 provided Frankel’s closest call. After chasing and passing his pacemaker, a six-length lead evaporated to three-quarters of a length at the line. Zoffany was closing fast.
Queally faced criticism for going too fast too soon. Cecil diplomatically suggested Frankel had idled in front once he thought he had won. The jockey defended his tactics: “He was starting to get a little fed up as he just does it so easily. He’s growing up all the time.”
This was Frankel’s first Royal Ascot appearance and the only time in his career when victory appeared in doubt. It taught connections a valuable lesson about his racing style.
The Duel on the Downs: Sussex Stakes
The Sussex Stakes at Goodwood on 27 July 2011 was billed as “The Duel on the Downs.” Frankel faced Canford Cliffs, the world’s top-rated older miler and winner of five consecutive Group 1 races. Canford Cliffs had beaten three-time Breeders’ Cup Mile winner Goldikova in his previous race.
The showdown proved one-sided. Frankel led throughout and won by five imperious lengths. Canford Cliffs was retired afterwards due to injury, never given the chance for a rematch.
Cecil said after the race: “I think it’s a facetious thing to say, but he’s the best I’ve ever seen. I suppose the only ones I could compare would be Shergar and Blushing Groom at his best. I can’t go back to the days of Tudor Minstrel and match races, but he’s the best in my lifetime.”
Queen Elizabeth II Stakes
The inaugural QIPCO British Champions Day at Ascot on 15 October 2011 saw Frankel face his strongest field yet. Five of his seven rivals had won Group 1 races, including Excelebration, Immortal Verse, and the previous year’s winner Poet’s Voice.
Despite Bullet Train setting a fierce gallop, Queally still struggled to settle Frankel at the rear of the field. Once asked for his effort, Frankel swept past his pacemaker and pulled away. He won by four lengths from Excelebration, who he would face three more times.
This performance earned Frankel a Timeform rating of 143, the highest mark awarded by the organisation in over forty years. He ended his three-year-old season as the undisputed champion miler in the world.
Four-Year-Old Season (2012)
The 2012 season would answer lingering questions about Frankel’s stamina. Could he prove himself beyond a mile? Cecil had indicated he believed the horse “will get a mile and a quarter very easily.” The campaign would test that assessment.
Lockinge Stakes
Frankel’s seasonal debut came at Newbury on 19 May in the Lockinge Stakes. He faced old rival Excelebration again and won by five lengths, extending his winning sequence to eleven races.
Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot
The Queen Anne Stakes on 19 June 2012 produced perhaps Frankel’s most devastating performance. Racing over a mile at Royal Ascot, he destroyed Excelebration by eleven lengths. It was the third time Excelebration had finished behind him, each time by an increasing margin.
This victory earned Frankel a provisional Timeform rating of 147, making him the highest-rated horse in the organisation’s history. The Guardian called it “an exhibition of sustained power that bordered on the brutal.” The Daily Telegraph described it as “one of the greatest performances in the history of horse racing.”
Second Sussex Stakes
Frankel returned to Goodwood on 1 August for a second Sussex Stakes. He won by six lengths, but this was merely a stepping stone. The real test lay ahead.
Juddmonte International Stakes
The Juddmonte International at York on 22 August marked Frankel’s first start beyond a mile. Stepped up to ten furlongs, he faced quality opposition including St Nicholas Abbey and Farhh.
Sent off at 1/10, Frankel answered every stamina question. He loomed alongside the field with three furlongs to run and pulled away to win by seven lengths. The doubters were silenced.
Champion Stakes: The Final Race
The Champion Stakes at Ascot on 20 October 2012 was confirmed as Frankel’s final race. A sellout crowd of 32,000 gathered to say farewell. Heavy rain had softened the ground, raising concerns about his participation. Teddy Grimthorpe, racing manager to owner Prince Khalid Abdullah, walked the course in the morning and gave the go-ahead.
Frankel faced his toughest test. Cirrus Des Aigles had won the previous year’s Champion Stakes and excelled on soft ground. The French gelding had won the Prix Dollar by nine lengths on heavy ground just weeks earlier.
Then disaster struck at the start. Frankel dwelt in the stalls and lost several lengths. Cirrus Des Aigles seized the advantage on his favoured ground. For the first time in his career, Frankel had ground to make up against a top-class rival.
As Frankel closed on the leader in the straight, the crowd sensed this was no formality. The roar from 32,000 voices was deafening. Cirrus Des Aigles fought hard, but Frankel was not to be denied. He hit the front a furlong out and stretched away to win by one and three-quarter lengths.
Queally rode past the winning post and continued down the course for an extra hundred yards. “I went down an extra hundred yards to let the crowd soak it all in,” he said. “It meant I could spend an extra twenty seconds on the track.”
Cecil, battling cancer and with his voice barely a whisper, was unequivocal: “He’s the best I’ve ever had, the best I’ve ever seen. I’d be very surprised if there’s ever been a better horse.”
Corine Barande-Barbe, trainer of Cirrus Des Aigles, said graciously: “It is not a dishonour to be beaten by such a good horse. It was a great day and it was like a victory to make Frankel gallop.”
Complete Race Record
| Date | Race | Course | Dist | Margin | SP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 Aug 10 | Maiden Stakes | Newmarket | 7f | ½ len | 1/4 |
| 25 Sep 10 | Royal Lodge Stakes (G2) | Ascot | 1m | 10 len | 1/2 |
| 16 Oct 10 | Dewhurst Stakes (G1) | Newmarket | 7f | 2¼ len | 4/6 |
| 16 Apr 11 | Greenham Stakes (G3) | Newbury | 7f | 4 len | 1/2 |
| 30 Apr 11 | 2000 Guineas (G1) | Newmarket | 1m | 6 len | 1/2 |
| 14 Jun 11 | St James’s Palace (G1) | Ascot | 1m | ¾ len | 1/10 |
| 27 Jul 11 | Sussex Stakes (G1) | Goodwood | 1m | 5 len | 1/10 |
| 15 Oct 11 | Queen Elizabeth II (G1) | Ascot | 1m | 4 len | 1/5 |
| 19 May 12 | Lockinge Stakes (G1) | Newbury | 1m | 5 len | 1/6 |
| 19 Jun 12 | Queen Anne Stakes (G1) | Ascot | 1m | 11 len | 1/10 |
| 1 Aug 12 | Sussex Stakes (G1) | Goodwood | 1m | 6 len | 1/20 |
| 22 Aug 12 | Juddmonte Int’l (G1) | York | 1m 2½f | 7 len | 1/10 |
| 20 Oct 12 | Champion Stakes (G1) | Ascot | 1m 2f | 1¾ len | 2/11 |
Frankel at Ascot
Frankel raced at Ascot five times and won all five. His performances at the Berkshire track include some of his most memorable victories and established his connection with the racecourse that continues through the Frankel Lounge at the Rowley Mile. Like Red Rum at Aintree, Frankel became synonymous with his home track.
| Date | Race | Margin | Significance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25 Sep 2010 | Royal Lodge Stakes (G2) | 10 lengths | First Ascot appearance |
| 14 Jun 2011 | St James’s Palace (G1) | ¾ length | Closest winning margin |
| 15 Oct 2011 | QEII Stakes (G1) | 4 lengths | Earned 143 Timeform |
| 19 Jun 2012 | Queen Anne Stakes (G1) | 11 lengths | Earned record 147 rating |
| 20 Oct 2012 | Champion Stakes (G1) | 1¾ lengths | Final career race |
The Timeform 147 Rating
Timeform has been rating racehorses since 1948. Their system is regarded as the most authoritative measure of racehorse ability. Before Frankel, the highest rating ever awarded was 145 to Sea Bird after his 1965 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe victory.
Frankel earned his record-breaking 147 rating after the 2012 Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot, where he won by eleven lengths. The rating confirmed him as the highest-rated horse in Timeform history.
Timeform All-Time Top Ratings
| Horse | Rating | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Frankel | 147 | 2012 |
| Sea Bird | 145 | 1965 |
| Brigadier Gerard | 144 | 1972 |
| Tudor Minstrel | 144 | 1947 |
The Human Story: Cecil, Queally, and Abdullah
Sir Henry Cecil
Sir Henry Cecil trained Frankel throughout his career. A ten-time champion trainer, Cecil had already established himself as one of British racing‘s greatest figures. But by 2010, he was battling stomach cancer and had experienced a difficult period following his divorce and the loss of key owners.
Frankel transformed Cecil’s final years. The partnership between trainer and horse captivated the public. Cecil’s patient approach allowed Frankel to develop from a headstrong two-year-old into a consummate professional.
Tom Queally said of their relationship: “That horse added longevity to Henry’s life, I’ve no doubt of that. Frankel gave a very sick man something to live for.”
Cecil died on 11 June 2013, eight months after Frankel’s retirement. His widow, Lady Jane Cecil, continues to host Frankel tours at Banstead Manor.
Tom Queally
Tom Queally rode Frankel in all 14 of his career starts. Born in Dungarvan, County Waterford, Ireland, he joined Cecil’s Warren Place stable in 2008 when the trainer was emerging from a fallow spell.
Their partnership worked because of Cecil’s loyalty. “It’s very hard to get a good horse, it’s even harder to keep the ride on a good one,” Queally reflected. “One defeat, one wrong word. There were bigger names, but Henry said, ‘Tom rides the horses and that’s it.'”
He described Cecil as “a genius” who “instinctively did the right thing for his horses.” After Cecil’s death, Queally said he was “quite proud of the fact that I was his last stable jockey and I lasted to his dying breath.”
Prince Khalid Abdullah
Prince Khalid Abdullah bred and owned Frankel through his Juddmonte operation. The Saudi businessman had been a major figure in thoroughbred racing and breeding for decades, with previous champions including Dancing Brave.
After Frankel’s final victory, Abdullah said: “He’s the best horse I have ever owned. Many people think he is the best horse they have ever seen.”
Abdullah died in January 2021, but the Juddmonte operation continues under family ownership. Frankel remains the jewel of their stallion roster at Banstead Manor.
Stud Career
Frankel retired to Juddmonte’s Banstead Manor Stud in Newmarket at the end of 2012. His initial stud fee was £125,000, reflecting high expectations based on his racing record and pedigree.
Those expectations have been exceeded. His fee rose steadily: £125,000 in 2013-2017, £175,000 in 2018, £200,000 in 2022, £275,000 in 2023, and £350,000 from 2024 onwards. This places him joint-top alongside Dubawi as the world’s most expensive stallion.
Stud Statistics
- 40 individual Group 1 winners (as of November 2025)
- 12 Northern Hemisphere Classic winners
- 100+ Group/Graded winners achieved in record time
- 153 stakes winners worldwide from 914 runners (17% strike rate)
- Champion Sire in Britain and Ireland in 2021 and 2023
- Initial 95% fertility rate in his first covering season
Notable Offspring
Adayar (2021): Won the Epsom Derby and King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes, becoming the first horse since Galileo in 2001 to win both races in the same season.
Hurricane Lane (2021): Won the Irish Derby, St Leger, and Grand Prix de Paris, finishing second in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.
Alpinista (2022): Won the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe for Sir Mark Prescott, providing one of the sport’s most emotional moments.
Cracksman (2017-2018): Won two Champion Stakes at Ascot, becoming the first horse since Frankel himself to win at successive British Champions Days.
Soul Stirring (2016-2017): Frankel’s first Group 1 winner, taking the Hanshin Juvenile Fillies and Japanese Oaks.
Chaldean (2023): Won the 2000 Guineas and Dewhurst Stakes, now standing at Banstead Manor alongside his sire.
Inspiral (2022-2023): Six-time Group 1 winner including the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf and Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot.
Mostahdaf (2023): Won the Prince of Wales’s Stakes and Juddmonte International.
Meeting Frankel
Frankel can be visited at Banstead Manor Stud through Discover Newmarket’s organised tours. These full-day experiences are led by Lady Jane Cecil, who shares personal stories about the horse and her late husband’s career.
The Frankel Tour includes:
- A behind-the-scenes visit to the Rowley Mile Racecourse and the Frankel Lounge
- Time on the gallops watching horses in training
- Lunch at Bedford Lodge Hotel
- A visit to Banstead Manor to meet Frankel and the other Juddmonte stallions
Tours are priced at £210 per person and run on limited dates during summer months. They typically sell out months in advance. The 2025 dates were sold out by early spring.
For tour information and booking, visit Discover Newmarket or call 01638 501122.
Frequently Asked Questions
By objective measures, yes. His Timeform rating of 147 is the highest ever recorded. He was unbeaten in 14 races including 10 Group 1 victories. The World Thoroughbred Racehorse Rankings Committee ranked him as the best horse assessed since their ratings began in 1977.
Yes. Frankel was born on 11 February 2008 and stands at Banstead Manor Stud in Newmarket. He is 17 years old as of 2025 and continues to cover mares at a fee of £350,000.
Frankel won all 14 of his career starts between August 2010 and October 2012. Ten of those victories came at Group 1 level.
Sir Henry Cecil trained Frankel at Warren Place in Newmarket throughout his career. Cecil was a ten-time champion trainer who died in June 2013.
Tom Queally rode Frankel in all 14 of his races. The Irish jockey was Cecil’s stable jockey from 2008 until the trainer’s death in 2013.
Frankel’s stud fee is £350,000 for the 2025 and 2026 covering seasons. This makes him joint-top with Dubawi as the world’s most expensive stallion.
As of November 2025, Frankel has sired 40 individual Group 1 winners. This includes 12 Classic winners across Europe and Japan.
Although his sire Galileo won the Epsom Derby, Cecil doubted Frankel’s stamina for a mile and a half. His dam Kind was a sprinter, and Cecil preferred to target races over shorter distances. When Frankel did step up to ten furlongs in 2012, he proved effective but connections chose not to test him beyond that.
Yes. Discover Newmarket offers organised Frankel Tours to Banstead Manor Stud. Tours cost £210 per person and are led by Lady Jane Cecil. They run on limited dates and sell out quickly. Visit discovernewmarket.co.uk for information.
Frankel is owned by Juddmonte, the racing and breeding operation founded by the late Prince Khalid Abdullah. He stands at their Banstead Manor Stud in Newmarket.
Related Guides
Royal Ascot 2026: Complete Guide – Plan your visit to Royal Ascot where Frankel won three times
Ascot Racecourse: Complete Guide – Everything you need to know about the Berkshire venue
The History of Ascot Racecourse – Explore the full history of Ascot Racecourse
Visiting Ascot: What to Expect – Plan your day at Frankel’s home track
UK Racecourses – Find all UK racecourses
Red Rum: The Legend of Aintree – Another racing legend’s story
Last updated: December 2025 | StableBet.co.uk
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