The highly anticipated stud career of Juddmonte's unbeaten champion Frankel (GB) (Galileo {Ire}–King {Ire}, by Danehill) got off to the best possible start on Friday when his first runner, Cunco (Ire), became his first winner with a three-quarter length score at Newbury for owner/breeder Don Alberto Corp and trainer John Gosden. Coincidentally, the bay was also the first foal born by the 14-time winner. Cunco is the first foal out of the dual Irish Group 3 winner and G1 Pretty Polly S.-third Chrysanthemum (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}), and therefore represents the Galileo/Danehill cross that his perennial champion sire has been so successful with. Chrysanthemum, a €100,000 Arqana August yearling, was trained by David Wachman and raced by the Coolmore partners, and was subsequently bought by Don Alberto Corp for 800,000gns at Tattersalls December in 2013 while carrying her son of Frankel. Cunco himself was a 280,000gns buyback at Tattersalls October last year.
Reflecting on the immediate impact made by Frankel, Juddmonte's Teddy Grimthorpe said, “It couldn't be better and Prince Khalid is absolutely delighted. It's really exciting, and to have his first foal be his first runner, and his first winner, is pretty remarkable. There's been a mixture of excitement, tension and apprehension–the whole gamut of emotions. We've been excited about him, but there's been a lot of very good racehorses who weren't good stallions. From the point of view of Frankel, the interest in him has never waned. It's been ongoing and phenomenal. We've got them with a variety of trainers. [Sir] Michael Stoute has got a horse out of Midday; we've got a very nice horse that Andre [Fabre] likes that's a half-brother to Byword. John [Gosden] has got a few of ours as well and he rang me up straight after today's race, so he's fired up.”
See “British Report” for full race report and video replay, or click here.
Not a subscriber? Click here to sign up for the daily PDF or alerts.
