Category Archives: Horses

Frankel was a powerful racing stallion that top the World Thoroughbred Rankings in 2011 and 2012. His career may have only lasted 14 races, but Frankel finished his time as a race horse undefeated. The horse’s ability on the race track was second to none, and due to Frankel’s running power, his stud fee is one of the most expensive in 2018. A date with Frankel will cost horse owners £175,000. It is a small price to continue the horse’s bloodline. Frankel raked in nearly £3 million during his racing career, and one of his offspring could exceed that figure one day.

Trained by Henry Cecil and owned by Khalid Abdullah, Frankel began his career in 2010 as a two-year-old. His first race at Newmarket ended in a half a length win as jockey Tom Queally rode the horse to victory. A month later, Queally rode Frankel to victory at the Frank Whittle Conditions Stakes. There, Frankel won by 13 lengths.

A year later, at the 2000 Guineas Stakes, Frankel won the race by the biggest margin since 1947. He also entered the race with the shortest odds since the mid-1970s (½). The wins just kept coming for the powerful stallion as he won the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes, Queen Anne Stakes, International Stakes and Championship Stakes. For all 14 race wins, Queally sat in the saddle.

In October 2012, Frankel was retired following his Championship Stakes win at Ascot. His originally stud fee was £125,000, which was increased in 2018. In Frankel’s first year as a stallion, he covered 133 mares. Frankel’s first offspring to be auctioned off was sold for a whopping £1.15 million.

Frankel’s stud fee isn’t the highest being commanded in the horse racing industry. Frankel’s father, Galileo, has a fee so high that it has not been made public. Obviously, the bloodlines have produced winners and horse race owners are looking to continue breeding winning offspring through Frankel.

Now living the high life as a stud, Frankel is remembered as one of the best horses of all-time. His race record speaks for itself as his 14-0 is one few other horses will ever touch.

Desert Orchid was one of the most revered National Hunt horses of all-time. In a career that spanned 70 starts, Desert Orchid achieved a record of 34-11-8. His win record included the 1989 Cheltenham Gold Cup and four King George VI Chase titles.

Trained by Englishman David Elsworth, Desert Orchid’s racing career lasted seven seasons, more than many of his racing contemporaries. Although Elsworth trained a number of beloved horses, no racer caught the attention of English fans quite like Desert Orchid. His accumulation of wins added to an attacking running style made the horse a favourite on race days.

In 1983, Desert Orchid began collecting wins with jockey Colin Brown. The duo would race together 42 times and 17 of those events would finish in a win for the duo. During his career, Desert Orchid would be ridden by four other jockeys and many of them achieved success on the horse’s back.

In 1991, as Desert Orchid’s better race days were behind him, the grey achieved one last win at the Diamond Chase at Sandown. Ten months later, Desert Orchid was retired following a devastating fall at Kempton. Despite the loss, Kempton had proved to be the setting of some of Desert Orchid’s greatest triumphs. Kempton held such happy racing memories that every year, Desert Orchid was on hand to lead the parade of runners for the King George VI Race following his retirement.

In November 2006, not long after celebrating his 27th birthday, Desert Orchid died at Egerton House Stables. The beloved horse’s ashes were buried at his favourite race track, Kempton Park Racecourse, next to his statue.