Although he is a candidate to be regarded as the greatest racehorse of all time—and certainly is generally viewed that way in Europe—there were some question marks over his potential as a stallion in the formative stages of his stud career.
The first potential issue to be raised was on the score of pedigree. Frankel is bred on a cross of Galileo (by Sadler's Wells) out of a mare by Danehill, thus combining what were Europe's most dominant sires, suggesting that he would not suit the considerable proportion of the Europe broodmare population that featured those horses close up in their pedigrees. Discontent was also expressed when Frankel's first crop hit the market, as the consensus was that he had failed to stamp his stock physically.
Those concerns were quickly swept away as the quality of Frankel's early runners became apparent. In fact, in his very first crop came Cracksman, who was the top 3-year-old on the World Racehorse Rankings in 2017, and co-leader overall in 2018 (Cracksman has sired the 2023 Prix du Jockey-Club-French Derby (G1) winner Ace Impactin his first crop).
Frankel's success has continued unabated, and in 2021 he succeeded his sire, Galileo, at the head of the table of Leading Sires in Great Britain and Ireland. He looks to be well on the way to a second title in 2023, and his lead was boosted at Royal Ascot last week when he supplied three of the meet's group 1 winners, Courage Mon Ami, who took the showpiece, the Ascot Gold Cup (G1) at 2 1/2 miles; Mostahdaf, who upset the 10-furlong Prince of Wales's Stakes (G1); and another surprise scorer, Triple Time in the Queen Anne Stakes (G1) over a mile.
With those victories included, Frankel owns some fairly staggering statistics. From his first seven crops sired to Northern Hemisphere time he has 656 starters, 113 stakes winners (17% stakes winners to runners), 78 group or graded winners (12%), and 29 group or grade 1 winners (4%). He's also been represented by another 10 stakes winners from 59 Southern Hemisphere- born foals (conceived at his base in England to Southern Hemisphere time), including two grade 1 winners.
Courage Mon Ami, who is undefeated in four starts, is out of the minor winning Lemon Drop Kid mare Crimson Ribbon. This represents a version of the very successful Galileo/Kingmambo cross, and a reverse of the highly effective cross of Kingmambo over mares by Galileo's sire, Sadler's Wells (in this regard it's probably significant that Kingmambo is out of a mare by Sadler's Wells' three-quarters brother, Nureyev). Courage Mon Ami is the third black-type winner for Crimson Ribbon, following Astronomos and Crimson Rosette, respectively, by Galileo sons New Approach and Teofilo.
Crimson Ribbon is a sister to Bronze Cannon, who took the Hardwicke Stakes (G2) at the 2009 Royal meet, and to Valiant Girl, successful in the My Charmer Handicap (G3) at Calder, and she is also half sister to another Royal Ascot victor, Across The Stars. She is by Galileo's half brother Sea The Stars, who captured the King Edward VII Stakes (G2). In recent generations, the family has been noted for stamina, but the fourth dam, Be Easy, was a precocious 2-year-old who took the Molecomb Stakes (G3) over five furlongs, and her dam is quite closely related to the speedy Ahonoora, a very successful sire. Ultimately, this is the same 'N' mtDNA line as Frankel himself.
Mostahdaf reached a new level when producing a devastating turn of foot to take the Prince of Wales's Stakes as the second-longest shot on the board. He is a half brother to the excellent mare Nazeef, whose successes included the Sun Chariot Stakes (G1) and Falmouth Stakes (G1). The dam, Dubawi's listed winning daughter Handassa, is half sister to Desert Stone, successful in the San Gabriel Stakes (G2) while racing on this side of the pond.
Like Courage Mon Ami, Mostahdaf goes back to a mare with speedy antecedents, as the second dam, the unraced Starstone, is a half sister to the group 1 winning sprinters Pastoral Pursuits and Goodricke. Mostahdaf is one of eight stakes winners from just 32 starters by Frankel out of mares by Dubawi, with the others including group 1 winners Adayar, Homeless Songs, and Dream Castle. Frankel's sire, Galileo, and Dubawi are both from the 'G' mtDNA line, and both Frankel and the dam of Mostahdaf are by stallions from the 'G" mtDNA line out of mares by stallions from the 'L', that also being the mtDNA line of Mostahdaf himself.
Like Mostahdaf, the 4-year-old Triple Time reached a new top last week when scoring at long odds in the Queen Anne Stakes. Making his first start since last October, Triple Time prevailed by a neck over Frankel's daughter Inspiral.
Triple Time's dam, the stakes-placed Mark of Esteem mare Reem Three, has been a quite remarkable producer. All nine of her starters are winners, seven have earned black-type, six stakes winners and a group 1-placed horse. Several of the stakes winners are closely related to Triple Time: the Prix Jean Romanet (G1) victress Ajman Princess is by Teofilo; group scorer Ostilio is by New Approach; and stakes winner Third Realm is by Sea The Stars.
Triple Time represents what was a prolific cross, that of Sadler's Wells and Galileo over Darshaan/Shirley Heights line mares, although it is found with diminishing frequency as the Shirley Heights line has started to fade from prominence. Reem Three is inbred 4x3 to Shirley Heights' sire, Mill Reef (who was by Never Bend, a half brother to Sadler's Wells' broodmare sire, Bold Reason). Triple Time's second dam, Jumaireyah, is by Fairy King, a brother to Sadler's Wells, giving the siblings 3x3. The third dam, Donya, is half sister to a notable Sadler's Wells performer in French Glory, who captured three group/graded events, including the Rothmans International (G1). Donya's dam, Dunette, was also a standout, taking the Prix de Diane-French Oaks (G1) and Prix Royal Oak (G1). The family goes back to Imagery, a sister to the outstanding racehorse and important sire Solario, who won the Royal meet's Ascot Derby, which was renamed the King Edward VII Stakes (G2).
