HERE’s a snapshot of jockey Anthony Delpech with the great Frankel, submitted by the Equine Group’s Gary Grant, who recently accompanied Delpech, Jessica Slack and Brett Crawford on a visit to Banstead Manor Stud near Newmarket, where Frankel was born and has retired to perform stallion duties for his owner, Khalid Abdullah.

Gary tells: “It was awesome to see Frankel in the flesh. He was well behaved and enjoyed the attention; it was a privilege for all of us. They’ve given Frankel the nickname, ‘Bobby’, and understandably he gets the royal treatment from the staff around him.”

Frankel was undefeated in 14 career starts. After his win in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes t Ascot in October 2011, he was given a rating of 143 by Timeform, the highest mark awarded by the organisation in over forty years and their fourth highest of all time behind Sea Bird, Brigadier Gerard and Tudor Minstrel.

 In June 2012, following his win in the Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot, Timeform raised its provisional rating to 147, making him their highest-rated horse in history. In January 2013 Timeform announced that his final rating at the end of his racing career was also 147.

Frankel covered 133 mares during his first breeding season and 126 were tested in foal. Those mares include the cream of the racing crop — 60 of them Grade or Group One winners or producers of a winner at the highest level.