Frankel (right) beats Nathaniel on their debuts at Newmarket in 2010

 PICTURE: Steven Cargill

'Every Frankel we have knows they're a Frankel'

FRIDAY is not only the eve of the highly anticipated first yearlings by Frankel to go under the hammer at the Arqana August sale, but it also marks five years to the day since the legendary racehorse first unveiled to the world his potential.

Even at that point, bearing a name synonymous with a legend of the human variety and sent off 7-4 favourite – the only time he would start at odds against – racing fans couldn’t have imagined the indelible mark Sir Henry Cecil’s charge would leave on the sport.

A dual world champion, unbeaten in 14 starts and a ten-time Group 1 winner, Frankel transcended the small world of racing, his huge raking stride demolishing a host of Group 1 winners and carrying him on to broadsheet front pages and the ten o’clock news.

His place in the annals of history is secure, but as for his legacy, that of his offspring, Khalid Abdullah’s homebred now finds himself having to make a name for himself once again.

Retired to Juddmonte’s Banstead Manor Stud in 2013, Frankel was rewarded with a first book of mares befitting a performer many judged to be the best ever seen. No fewer than 131 mares visited the young sire, of whom 111 (85 per cent) were winners, with 70 (53 per cent) earning black-type and 29 (22 per cent) having won at the highest level. In addition, 57 were already the dams of stakes winners, including 22 who had produced Group/Grade 1 winners. Names gracing the list include Alexander Goldrun, Dancing Rain, Danedream, Midday, Sariska and Zarkava.

Unsurprisingly, expectations were sky high when his first foals arrived, never more so than when a handful went under the hammer. A filly out of dual Classic winner Finsceal Beo claimed top billing when selling for €1.8 million at Goffs, with four individual foals sold for an average of 609,971gns plus the £1.15 million sale of Crystal Gaze and her Frankel colt – although there were pricey buybacks, including a €350,000 colt out of Swiss Lake.

A year later and 35 lots worldwide have a date with the sales ring, including Frankel’s first-born, a colt out of Chrystanthemum. That number will give the spectator a glimpse of this next generation, but the majority will not be seen until they step on to a racecourse.

However, those who are fortunate enough to own or manage one or more of this most valuable commodity are pleased with their progress.

Meon Valley Stud owner Mark Weinfeld has bred a Frankel half-sister to Group 1 winner Izzi Top out of star mare Zee Zee Top.

“She’s being retained by the stud and will go to John Gosden,” said Weinfeld. “She’s a big scopey filly, we’re very happy with her.”

Another big name from the book, Dubai Sheema Classic heroine Dar Re Mi, delivered a Book 1-bound colt. Watership Down Stud manager Simon Marsh said: “He’s an extremely nice horse, well-grown, correct, a good-walker – a nice colt. He’s always been very easy, and it will be interesting to see how he develops over the next eight weeks.”

Also set for the sales ring is a Frankel half-brother to Finsceal Beo, bred and consigned by Rathbarry Stud.

“He’s going to Goffs Orby,” said the stud’s Niamh Woods. “He’s coming along well – he only came in at the end of July for sales prep and so far, so good, he’s doing everything right.”

Also on offer at Goffs is a son of Dookus, the dam of smart juvenile US Law.

“He’s doing well, plenty of size and strength about him,” said Ballylinch Stud manager John O’Connor. “He’s a nice, correct colt with a great temperament.”

Temperament appears to be something many of the youngsters have in common, a factor not lost on David Redvers, manager of Qatar Racing, which sent no fewer than 11 mares to the sire in 2013.

“Every Frankel foal we’ve had, since the day they were born they know they’re by Frankel,” said Redvers. “There’s an awful lot to like about them. We have one out of Marine Bleue who’s as good a yearling as we’ve ever bred on the farm.

“What I like about the sire is that the mare’s still producing the sort of foal you’d expect here to – a sprint mare producing a horse who looks like a sprinter, a middle-distance mare producing a horse who looks like a mile and a half horse – if anyone’s expecting them all to look like Frankel that’s not what they’re going to see, but if they’re expecting a strong yearling, that’s what they’ll get.”

Qatar’s tally is beaten only by Juddmonte itself, which selected a host of its blue-blooded broodmare band to support the new addition.

“I was immediately impressed with the strength and depth Frankel has put into the yearlings,” said Banstead general manager Philip Mitchell. “This probably comes more from Danehill, but they’re all great walkers and have very good temperaments.”

Mitchell’s cites his top two as the filly out of six-time Group/Grade 1 winner Midday and a filly out of Arrive, but as with all those born at the picturesque Banstead Manor, Frankel fans will need to await their racecourse debut for a glimpse of the pair.

For now, all eyes will be trained on Deauville, where six unknowing young thoroughbreds are about to cause a media frenzy.

Frankel: the first crop by the brilliant racehorse are now juveniles

The 2001 Derby winner-turned super-sire Galileo has to date fathered three winners of racing’s most-famous prize and he has another live contender for the 2016 race in Midterm (3c Galileo-Midday, by Oasis Dream).

The Juddmonte blue-blood was saddled by Sir Michael Stoute to win Sandown’s G3 Classic Trial on Friday in good style with Ryan Moore in the saddle.

The son of six-time G1 winner Midday won a Newbury maiden on his only start last season and is now 6/1 second-favourite for the Derby with Galileo colt US Army Ranger (3c Galileo-Moonstone, by Dalakhani) heading the market.

“He’s such a beautiful athlete with a great pedigree so he’s got so many credentials.” said Stoute. “He’s a very neat horse and a very good mover. He’s certainly bred to do the job.

“There’s a few more trials to be seen and there’s a lot of horses we haven’t seen yet, so it’s early days, but this horse has done absolutely nothing wrong. We’ll go for one of the trials now, either Chester or York.”

Moore added: “I thought it was a really professional performance. We went a good, even pace and he travelled nicely. I always felt like he was in control. He was a little bit green coming up the hill, but every time I asked him he kept responding.”