Frankel offspring enjoying big week at Royal Ascot

Two successful stallions from two of the world’s most prominent breeding and racing programs have continued to make their mark at the renowned Royal Ascot meeting over the past week – and have continued to bolster the legacies of their respective sires for another titan of the industry.

Through Friday’s penultimate day of the Royal Ascot meeting – with all but one of the Group 1 races in the books – Juddmonte’s unbeaten homebred champion Frankel, who has been a breakout success at stud, led all stallions as the sire of three winners. Meanwhile, Shamardal, a champion in the Godolphin blue silks, was among the stallions with a pair of victors.

Two-time Cartier European Horse of the Year Frankel won 10 Group 1 races during his career, including two wins at Royal Ascot, taking the 2011 St. James’s Palace Stakes and then rolling by 11 lengths in the 2012 Queen Anne. His son Without Parole emulated him by winning this year’s edition of the St. James’s Palace, and the stallion also was represented by Wolferton Handicap winner Monarchs Glen and King George V Stakes winner Baghdad.

Frankel, whose first foals hit the track in 2016, is already the sire of 100 individual winners, including 26 stakes winners, a phenomenal strike rate. His 19 group stakes winners are led by two-time Japanese champion Soul Stirring.

Cartier Award champion Shamardal won four Group 1 events while taking 6 of 7 career starts in total. He has gone on to become a successful international sire, with Grade/Group 1 winners including champions in Australia, Hong Kong, and Saudi Arabia. He was represented at Royal Ascot this week by Group 1 King’s Stand Stakes winner Blue Point and Group 2 Duke of Cambridge Stakes winner Aljazzi.

Frankel is a son of Coolmore’s international titan Galileo, who added two more Royal Ascot winners to his tally this week, with Magic Wand taking the Group 2 Ribblesdale Stakes and Kew Gardens winning the Group 2 Queen’s Vase. Shamardal’s sire, the late Giant’s Causeway, also stood for Coolmore. Another Coolmore stallion making a strong showing at Royal Ascot is Mastercraftsman, who recorded two wins on Friday’s program.