South Africa’s only Frankel filly, Miss Frankel, will be going into training in Durban with Dennis Drier at the end of the month.
Boom horse Frankel, who became a world-wide legend in winning all 14 of his racecourse starts, has had his first runners as a stallion this year and all six of his progeny to have raced so far have won.
Little surprise, then, that Drier is “over the moon” to be handed Miss Frankel, the second foal of Avontuur Stud’s well-performed mare Val De Ra and due to race in the Taberer’s Avontuur Stud silks.
It will be a while before racing fans see the chestnut filly, who only turns two on 1 August, in action. “She hasn’t even been broken yet,” said Drier. “She’s coming straight off Avontuur Farm and will only debut next year.
“I’ve been to see her a couple of times and she’s lovely, very correct.”
Cunco gave Frankel his first winner in May at Newbury and his most recent was Seven Heavens at Ascot on Friday last week. He already has Group 3 and Listed placings to his credit – Queen Kindly and Cunco respectively.
Miss Frankel and Val De Ra (Liesl King)
According to “Racing Post”, Seven Heavens, who cost 620,000 guineas as a yearling, travelled sweetly to the front before asserting himself in the final 200m and jockey Robert Havlin said: “I’ve ridden two Frankels now and they’ve both wanted to get on with things at home, but come raceday they’re as good as gold.”
John Gosden, who trains Seven Heavens, said: “He’s a grand horse and did it well. He hit the front a long way out and was on his own in the middle of the course from the two pole, so he did well to win as he did. I wouldn’t be in a rush with him and would rather bring him along gradually.”
Teddy Grimthorpe, racing manager to Khalid Abdullah who raced Frankel and in whose silks Seven Heavens races, said on “Sporting Life”: “We’re very pleased with him. There are various options for him at a higher level like the Richmond Stakes. Equally so, there are options like various novice events. We are just seeing how he progresses and comes out of the race so he can tell us where we want to be.”
Drier also has care of Avontuur’s other high-profile import, the Oasis Dream filly Dream De Ra, who is also from Val de Ra. Dream De Ra was born in Britain to southern hemisphere time.
About to turn three, Drier said: “She’s doing well. She’s a nice filly, although she hasn’t got the quality or beauty of Miss Frankel. But she’s a nice, strongly built, well put together filly.”
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