Guest Column: ‘Tis The Season Of Love

13 February, 2013
– Lisa Barrett

Tomorrow marks two momentous events; firstly it’s Valentine’s Day, and secondly it’s the start of the stallion career of one of the greatest horses of our time, Frankel. In his first season at stud, Frankel will be bursting out of the starting blocks with coverings of 3 mares a day. All in all, he is expected to cover about 135 mares in his first season at stud. All eyes will be on the horse nicknamed “Ussain Colt” and whether he will be able to handle the demanding schedule of coverings.

His first book of mares reads like a who’s who of the equine world with the likes of U.S. classic producer Oatsee, Kentucky’s reigning Broodmare of the Year; Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe winner Danedream; Eclipse Award winners Stacelita and Zagora; Japanese champion Vodka; multiple Grade 1 or Group 1 winners Midday and Dar Re Mi; and Grade 1 winner Balance, a half-sister to Zenyatta, along with several prominent American-based mares; the Beverly D. Stakes winner Dynaforce; and Las Virgenes Stakes winner Eden’s Moon.

Frankel is fortunate to be based at his birthplace, Banstead Manor, the UK based arm of His Royal Highness Prince Khalid Abdullah’s Juddmonte operation. He is the new boy on the block though, and has some formidable companions in the form of Oasis Dream (Top five leading sire and Top five sire of 2YO’s as well as having 19 Stakes winners ) and Dansili (sire of 11 Group One winners and 22 individual Stakes winners) who are also based on the farm.

The team at Banstead have been meticulously prepping Frankel for his big date with destiny, it will be a few years though before we will be able to see how his progeny run. It will be a long time before Frankel will come anywhere near his iconic sire Galileo, who is widely acknowledged as one of the greatest sires of the modern era, with 26 Group 1 winners to his credit among his various plaudits.

KZN breeding and racing is lucky enough to have three stallions who share the same sire as Galileo – Sadler’s Wells ;Summerhill Stud-based Golden Sword (High Chaparral – Sadler’s Wells), King of Kings who is based at Peter & Jenny Blyth’s Clifton Stud, and international Group winning son, King’s Chapel, who is based at Bush Hill Stud.

King of Kings has enjoyed some impressive success with his progeny, the most notable being the mare King’s Temptress, who caused the upset of the season with an impressive win in the S.A Nursery (Gr.2), and more recently the Three Troikas Stakes (Gr.3). 2012 proved to be a red letter season for the stallion, as he led the National Sires log of Two Year Olds and stakes earned for most of the season.

His son King’s Chapel has also had some impressive success with Grade 2 winner King’s Ransom, and the Stakes placed Star of Kings. He has also enjoyed significant success overseas in Singapore, Hong Kong and the Antipodes. This year sees the first crop of Golden Swords hitting the ground, and it’s hoped that he will bring a bit of staying power to a predominantly sprinting environment.

As the greatest day of love is celebrated tomorrow, believe it or not both horses and people have a lot in common. Respect, if it is given genuinely, leads to love!

Let’s hope that Frankel takes to his new stud duties with as much “love”, and that in years to come we will see many more “Frankels” lighting up the racecourses of the world.