Sharp Frank, a magnificent looking son of Frankel, with an equally brilliant pedigree being the half-brother of SA Horse of The Year, Oh Susanna, will stand at Drakenstein Stud in the forthcoming breeding season.
Sharp Frank is the first son of Frankel to retire to stud in South Africa.
In a statement, Drakenstein said that Sharp Frank is an unusual step away from their policy to stand only top class runners, but they felt it a necessary one as this handsome athlete was so highly thought of by his Trainer Andrew Balding while racing in the UK. Unfortunately, Sharp Frank had only one start before he was retired.
Sharp Frankel – exciting prospect (Pic – Supplied)
Andrew said the following about him, which gave Drakenstein the confidence to stand him and support him with some of their best mares.
“Sharp Frank was a highly promising three year old. He worked to a very high level at home after his sole racecourse appearance and it is a great sadness that he was denied the opportunity to prove his class to a wider audience. He had a fantastic action and like many of the Frankel offspring, we had the feeling that he was going to improve further with age and maturity. He also had a great temperament and I would imagine he has every chance of making it as a stallion if his offspring are anything like him.”
He provides a wonderful outcross to the Drakenstein broodmare band of Trippi mares and he will receive a number of them during his first season at stud.
Sharp Frank no doubt has one of the best pedigrees in the South African studbook; his sire Frankel needs no introduction as currently the best sire in the world.
His dam Sharp Susan not only produced Oh Susanna, but also her graded winning half-brother Signore Fox, who stands at stud in Australia.
Sharp Frank carries the best of bloodlines and while Drakenstein note that we might not have seen them demonstrated on a racecourse, they feel very confident about his genetic prowess.
See his pedigree here.
In the first two generations, stakes horses have been produced by Trippi, Exceed And Excel (Danehill), Street Cry (Mr P), AP Indy and Galileo so a variety of bloodlines have suited the family.
Drakenstein have decided to offer Sharp Frank in a different way to their usual syndication process.
They will offer breeding rights rather than shares.
- A limited number of free breeding rights can be earned if a breeder sends 3 mares over a 4 year period to Sharp Frank. Starting with at least a mare in first year. The mare is only counted when tested in foal to Sharp Frank.
- A breeding right can be purchased for R50,000 which affords the breeder 1 service per right for the rest of his career.
Sharp Frank will stand his first season at stud at a fee of R5 000 (special live foal).
Sharp Frank is very much in the mould of Sharp Susan’s family, he is a good size with good rein and a wonderful deep shoulder.
He is close coupled like his sister and strongly made. Andrew always felt he showed enough speed to be a miler but would have had no problem going 10 furlongs when he strengthened up.
In retiring Sharp Frank along with Champion Sprinter A Case Of You and Champion Charles Dickens, Drakenstein hope to provide breeders in South Africa with a great opportunity to access some of the best bloodlines around.
