The most successful sire in 2023 for stakes-winners is the mighty Frankel and the Juddmonte based son of Galileo added to the tally overnight with a pair of new stakes-winners in Ardent and Jeff Koons with his half dozen yearlings to be offered at Magic Millions sure to be a hot commodity.
A homebred three year-old filly for Juddmonte trained by Andre Fabre, Ardent was a two time winner coming into the Listed Prix Petite Etoile (1900m) at Deauville and scored a three-quarter length win as favourite.
Ardent is a full sister to Group II winner Raclette and is the fourth winner from four to race from dual US Group I winner Emollient, whose other two winners are also Group placed.
The Frankel x Empire Maker nick is super successful with nine winners from 10 runners and eight of the winners are Black Type performers, five of them stakes-winners! So 90% winner to runner and 50% SW to runner.
Making it a double of new stakes-winners for Frankel was Irish bred three year-old Jeff Koons, who scored a length win in the Qatar Derby at his first run in the region after previously being trained by John and Thady Gosden. Purchased privately by Blandford Bloodstock for Wathnan Racing, Jeff Koons has won two of eight starts.
Jeff Koons is closely related to Frankel’s Group II winner Spirit Dancer and is the first winner from Group II winning Dubawi mare Quidura.
The Frankel x Dubawi nick has produced 31 winners from 40 starters with 10 stakes-winners including four Group I winners!
Ardent and Jeff Koons bring the lifetime tally of stakes-winners for Frankel to 135 and 41 of them have come in 2023, 11 of them Group I winners!
The next best sire in terms of stakes-winners is Dubawi with 39 stakes-winners, eight of them Group I winners.
