World’s first Frankel foal goes under the hammer
In an auction lasting little more than 5 minutes, the first Frankel foal to be offered at public auction was knocked down to Michael Magnier of Coolmore Stud for £1.15 million.
The foal was offered along with his dam Crystal Gaze, currently believed to be back in foal to Frankel, at the Goffs London Sale, held on Monday, 16 June 2016 at The Orangery in the grounds of Kensington Palace in association with Qipco.
The bidding for lot 65, Crystal Gaze with her Frankel colt at foot, consigned by Tweenhills Farm, opened at £1 million and lasted barely five minutes before Magnier struck the winning bid. Magnier, the son of Coolmore supremo John Magnier, said: “He has been bought for a racing partnership, and there are four different people in it. “It’s a nice, strong colt and the lads really liked it.” He said it was too early to say where the young horse would be trained.
Unnamed colt (Frankel – Crystal Gaze)
Seller David Redvers, owner and manager of Tweenhills Stud, said: “It seems like an awful lot of money to pay for a horse and it’s a bit sad to see the whole package go, as the mare is a sweetheart.”
The sale was held in association with Sheikh Fahad’s Qipco Holding.
Redvers, who manages Sheikh Fahad’s Qatar Racing operation, added: “It was fantastic to bring them to London and Sheikh Fahad was very keen to support the sale.”
Frankel, conditioned during his unblemished racing career by the late Sir Henry Cecil, won almost £3m in racing prize money in his unbeaten 14 race career and now resides at his place of birth, the Banstead Manor Stud in Newmarket.
Frankel’s stud fee is set at £125,000 and he receives approximately 120 mares a season (including Avontuur’s Val De Ra, who is due back in South Africa shortly, with a Frankel foal in utero).
Crystal Gaze is also the dam of Caspian Prince, the winner of the Investec Dash on Derby Day at Epsom last weekend, and Group One sprinter Spirit Quartz.
