The Champion Stakes, run over a mile and a quarter at Ascot on October 20, 2012, was memorable for the fact that it marked the final race of Frankel, who remains the highest-rated horse in the history of World Thoroughbred Rankings, which began in 1977. Facing six rivals, including the 2011 Champion Stakes winner, Cirrus Des Aigles, Frankel was sent off at prohibitive odds of 2/11, but despite racing on soft going for the first time since making his racecourse debut at Newbury two seasons previously, made light of the underfoot conditions and the opposition.
Ridden by Tom Queally, as he had been on all of his 13 previous starts, Frankel started slowly, briefly causing consternation for Ian Mongan, aboard his pacemaker, Bullet Train. Nevertheless, Frankel soon recovered and, brought wide inside the final quarter of a mile, cruised past Cirrus Des Aigles approaching the final furlong and only had to be kept up to his work to score a comfortable, 1¾-length success from his nearest market rival. Nathaniel, who, coincidentally, Frankel had beaten by just half a length on his racecourse debut – but had won the King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot in 2011 and the Eclipse Stakes at Sandown earlier in 2012 in the meantime – finished third, a further 2½ lengths away.
Thus, Frankel finished his career unbeaten in all 14 starts, including the 2011 2,000 Guineas and nine other Group 1 races. Shortly afterwards, his owner/breeder, the late Prince Khalid Abdulla, said, “Today was important because it was his last race”, while his trainer, the late Sir Henry Cecil said, “I can’t believe that in the history of racing there has ever been a better racehorse.” Since his retirement from racing, Frankel has proved an exceptional sire and currently stands at Banstead Manor Stud in Cheveley, near Newmarket, where he commands a fee of £350,000 a time