HARPER LODGE FARM has its first Frankel in training after the purchase of Lightening Fast at Tattersalls’ Horses In Training Sale last week.
Frankel was not only an unbeaten Champion racehorse, winning all 14 starts, including 10 Group 1s, he has also enjoyed a fabulous start to his stallion career. Last year, he was the leading European first season sire by worldwide earnings.
This colt was trained by Ger Lyons in Ireland for Qatar Racing Ltd and won two races as a 3yo this season, both mile handicaps at Navan and Leopardstown. Rated 95 on the turf, he is still lightly raced, having had just nine races to date, including one on the all-weather.
Being a son of Frankel, the bay colt is not surprisingly nicely bred. Out of a Marju mare who won three races at two, including the Group One Jaguar Cars Cheveley Park Stakes, his pedigree is full of black type including Satano Crown that won seven races and over £3.4 million in prize money. The 2yo full-brother, Lightening Quick won on her debut, a fillies’ maiden at Leopardstown.
The horse may have gone under the radar at the sales as he seems well bought at just 30,000 guineas. While his last two races showed a dip in form, one was on the all-weather and the other was on soft going, so a line can be drawn under both races.
It’s very exciting to have a Frankel in the stable which has strength in depth with some nicely bred horses from top stallions. Exceed and Excel, Shamardal, Declaration of War, Dark Angel, Acclamation and Scat Daddy are six leading stallions, whose progeny are in training at Harper Lodge Farm. It’s wonderful to add Frankel to the roster.
The horse is currently owned by its purchaser, the trainer but there is surely going to be no shortage of interest in this exciting, lightly-raced son of the great Frankel?