Frankel

Arrowfield Stud founder and chairman John Messara has long taken a global view when it comes to breeding and has formed strong strategic links with fellow major breeders in Europe and Japan. He recently spoke with our colleagues at The Thoroughbred Report on the perceived stagnation of the Australian Pattern race programme and now shares with Emma Berry his wider views on racing and breeding in various jurisdictions and the decision to send a special mare to be based in Europe. EB: You have had associations with European entities before,...

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-pedigreed horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Tuesday's Observations features Kikkuli, a half-brother to champion and leading sire Frankel.   16.05 Newmarket, Mdn, £10,000, 3yo, c/g, 7fT KIKKULI (GB) (Kingman {GB}) is a key player in this often-informative Alex Scott Maiden, as the eighth foal out of Juddmonte's diamond mine Kind (Ire) (Danehill). Her previous septet...

Aidan O'Brien is busy preparing for what could turn out to be one of his boldest ever campaigns at Ballydoyle with plans in place for City Of Troy (Justify) to tackle the 2,000 Guineas and the Derby followed by an audacious tilt at the Travers S. on the dirt at Saratoga later this summer. Meanwhile, dual Derby and Breeders' Cup hero Auguste Rodin (Deep Impact {Jpn}), arguably the most important older horse to have been kept in training at Ballydoyle for many years, is set to get his campaign underway...

We may bemoan the fact that Flat horses come and go in what feels like the blink of an eye, but this season we are fortunate to be welcoming back not just the Derby winner Auguste Rodin (Ire) but the four best fillies and mares in the world last year: Liberty Island (Jpn), Inspiral (GB), Emily Upjohn (GB) and Nashwa (GB). The last three named are all trained at John and Thady Gosden's Clarehaven Stables and both Emily Upjohn and Nashwa will make their return to the track next weekend...

Sir Alex Ferguson was back in Britain by Monday after enjoying a second major international victory with his homebred Spirit Dancer (GB) at the Saudi Cup meeting in Riyadh. "It's been fantastic. He's an improving horse. As a younger horse he had some issues but now he seems to be getting better every year," Ferguson told TDN.  "In his races in Bahrain and Saudi there was no catching him. There's no end to him at the moment. The next question is can he go a mile and four furlongs? That...

A properly international Saudi Cup meeting saw the major races claimed by stables from  Japan, America, Britain and Ireland. A clash with two rugby internationals will have had plenty of viewers indulging in some channel-hopping, but for some of racing's most crucial workers - those on stud farms - the work can't just be put aside for an afternoon on the sofa. Such was the case for Greg and Lottie Parsons of Upperwood Farm Stud in Hertfordshire, who had a "36-hour day" on Saturday, having been up all night foaling....

Bloodstock agent Mike Ryan has given the lowdown on the top Chad Brown-trained juvenile prospects that were selected at last year's Book 1 session at the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale. Ryan, who has sourced well over 50 Group/Grade 1 winners in his long and distinguished career, including Book 1 graduates Newspaperofrecord (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}), Digital Age (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) and Domestic Spending (GB) (Kingman {GB}), admitted to finding trade "a little easier" in 2023 compared to previous visits to Park Paddocks.  Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf heroine...

Enable (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}) is set to visit Dubawi (Ire) for the third year in a row,  according to plans released by Juddmonte for its European broodmare band. The 11-time Group 1 winner's dam Concentric (GB) (Sadler's Wells) will be covered by Frankel (GB) after foaling to Dubawi. Enable's first foal, the two-year-old colt by Kingman (GB) named Encompass (GB), will be trained by John and Thady Gosden at Clarehaven Stables, the former home of both his sire and dam. Enable's two-year-old full-brother Concert Tour (GB) has not yet been...

John Stewart's Resolute Bloodstock has purchased 2022 Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint champion Caravel (Mizzen Mast) in a private sale conducted early in 2024. Resolute's breeding director Chelsey Stone said the 7-year-old mare will visit Juddmonte's champion sire Frankel (GB) in 2024. Bred and initially campaigned and trained by Elizabeth Merryman, Caravel earned nearly $2 million and amassed 15 career victories. In addition to her Breeders' Cup score, she earned a second Grade I win in the 2023 Jaipur S. In her final career start at the 2023 Breeders' Cup, the...

Outside the boxes of the foaling unit at Banstead Manor Stud are Juddmonte's versions of the blue plaques one sees across Britain on the former homes of famous people. Here, of course, the plaques are a subtle green, but when it comes to equine celebrities there can be no bigger name than Frankel (GB).  He was born in one of the old brick boxes which should be granted special sporting heritage status on February 11, 2008. It is hard to believe that his 16th birthday is looming. Backing on to...

Blood will out, so they say, and in the case of Onesto (Ire) this is certainly true. The most cursory glance at his pedigree gives you two of the most talked about and revered racehorses of the modern era - his sire Frankel (GB) and broodmare sire Sea The Stars (Ire). But it pretty much goes without saying when it comes to Frankel's offspring that there's an awful lot more going on as you take a closer look at his page.  Bred by American-based Adam Bowden of Diamond Creek Farm,...

I think we can all agree that Juddmonte both know what they are doing and have an eye on the bottom line. Last year they had two Group 1-winning Frankel colts with stud potential. Both have similar profile dam-lines and both are good-looking colts. One was rated seven pounds superior to the other.  You can't get in to the winner of the less-than-vintage renewal of the 2,000 Guineas the 119-rated Chaldean (GB) at Banstead, meanwhile the 126-rated Irish Derby winner Westover (GB) was quietly shuffled off to Japan without a...