Frankel shows the way

With Royal Ascot in the books and all the major European Guineas, Derbies and Oaks done and dusted, it is an opportune time to review how the European season looks from a breeding perspective.

by John Boyce

After landing his first Britain and Ireland sires’ championship just two years ago, it looks very much like Frankel will return to the top this year after Dubawi deservedly lifted last year’s title. Presently, he is well clear of his rivals after a Royal Ascot bonanza of three brand new Gr1 winners, all three of whom look set to add to their sire’s money satchel as the season progresses. In the process, two of his three new Gr1 winners, Mostahdaf and Courage Mon Ami, earned new career high Timeform ratings of 129 and 128 respectively. That means that the impressive Gr1 Prince Of Wales’s Stakes winner Mostahdaf sits behind only Cracksman (136) and Adayar (131) on his sire’s list of leading runners, while the lightly raced and still undefeated Gr1 Gold Cup hero Courage Mon Ami is now among his sire’s top five runners, rated alongside the Irish Derby and St Leger winner Hurricane Lane. After his Royal Ascot flourish, Frankel is now on a strike rate of 17.1% Stakes winners from runners, the best by an active sire anywhere in the world and just