WIDELY regarded as one of the best racehorses of the modern era, Frankel’s unbeaten stretch of 14 races, 10 of them at Group 1 level, was the longest seen in Europe since Ribot. A champion juvenile, he was awarded a Timeform rating of 147, the highest in the organisation’s history.
When it comes to a second career at stud, such brilliance is hard to replicate, but a decade after his retirement to Banstead Manor Stud, Frankel (Galileo) has answered every question asked of him in that department. His reputation as a consistent source of Group 1 talent over a range of distances, ages and conditions firmly underlines his place as a champion sire.
In 2021, Frankel became the first British-based sire to be crowned champion stallion in 24 years, ending the domination of his late sire Galileo (Sadler’s Wells), the 12-time champion. Frankel repeated the feat in 2023 with 30 European stakes winners.
Frankel is now joined at Banstead Manor by his son Chaldean, winner of the Group 1 2000 Guineas last year. This was a season that also saw one of Frankel’s first sons at stud, the dual Group 1 Champion Stakes winner Cracksman, make a great start as the sire of the unbeaten Group 1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe hero Ace Impact in his first crop.
Chaldean won four of his five starts at two, all over seven furlongs, progressing from a novice at Newbury through to the Group 3 Acomb Stakes at York, the Group 2 Champagne Stakes at Doncaster and the Group 1 Dewhurst Stakes at Newmarket. He beat Indestructible in both the Acomb and Champagne Stakes, on the latter occasion by three and a half lengths.
Only 18 horses have gone on to win the Group 1 2000 Guineas after landing the Dewhurst Stakes, and Chaldean emulated his own sire Frankel with this achievement, and did so before he actually was three. They are the only father and son pair to achieve the feat, and Chaldean posted the second-faster time ever in the Dewhurst.
His new career at stud sees him as the only Group 1-winning juvenile son of Frankel standing in Europe. After his classic win he chased home Paddington in the Group 1 St James’s Palace Stakes.
Andrew Balding paid tribute to the new Juddmonte sire when he said: “Chaldean is just a dream horse; the most professional, uncomplicated, and beautifully balanced horse we had during his time at Kingsclere.” Chaldean earned a Timeform rating of 122.
Chaldean carried the silks of Juddmonte but, unlike the vast majority of the big race winners they have had, he was not a product of that organisation. Instead, this 550,000gns foal purchase was bred by the Harper family at their Whitsbury Manor Stud near Fordingbridge in Hampshire.
A son of Suelita (Dutch Art), Chaldean is the sixth foal and winner for his dam. All bar one of them earned blacktype, four of them being stakes winners. Chaldean is easily the best of Suelita’s offspring, and he joins Alkumait (Showcasing) and The Broghie Man (Cityscape) as a third stakes-winning son of their dam. Alkumait has completed his first two seasons at stud in Ireland, the Group 2 Mill Reef Stakes hero covering in excess of 225 mares.
Race record
CHALDEAN (GB), Chesnut horse, 2020. Jt Champion 2yr old colt in England in 2022. Jt 2nd top rated 2yr old colt in Europe in 2022. Won 5 races, value £882,326, at 2 and 3, from 7 furlongs to 1 mile, Dewhurst Stakes, Newmarket, Gr.1, 2000 Guineas, Newmarket, Gr.1, Champagne Stakes, Doncaster, Gr.2, Acomb Stakes, York, Gr.3, also placed second in St James’s Palace Stakes, Ascot, Gr.1.
At stud
Retired to stud in 2024.
Information
Stands at: Banstead Manor Stud, Cheveley, Newmarket, Suffolk, CB8 9RD, England.
Contact: Shane Horan, Henry Bletsoe or Claire Curry
Telephone: +44 1638 731115
Email: nominations@juddmonte.co.uk
Web: www.juddmonte.com
Fee: £25,000