Unbeaten Frankel Headed to Champion Stakes

Juddmonte Farms' Frankel, having extended his unbeaten streak to 13 with a victory in the 1 5/16-mile Juddmonte International (Eng-I), will make his next start in the 10-furlong Qipco Champion Stakes (Eng-I) at Ascot Oct. 20.

Prince Khalid Abdullah's racing manager Lord Teddy Grimthorpe made the announcement Aug. 31 in a press release. Grimthorpe said the decision was made "following discussions with (trainer) Sir Henry Cecil."

Frankel's seven-length victory in the Juddmonte International came in his first race beyond a mile.

It had been hoped since last fall that Frankel would come to America for the Breeders' Cup World Championships, but the announcement by Grimthorpe confirmed that is not going to happen. There also was talk about pointing for the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (Fr-I), but it was decided to keep the son of Galileo at the shorter distance.

Frankel, who is being called by many the greatest horse ever to race in Europe, has won 10 of his 13 races by margins of four lengths or more, and has won his four races this year by an average margin of seven lengths. He has gone off as the odds-on favorite in his last 12 starts.