Noble Mission followed in his famous brother’s footsteps when landing the Qipco Champions Stakes at Ascot on Saturday (18 October).
Top prize
Two years after Frankel won the Group 1 Champions Stakes, claiming his 14th consecutive win and the final one of his stellar career, his full brother achieved victory in the same race, claiming the £770,000 first prize under jockey James Doyle.
Noble Mission led from the start, before embarking on an epic battle with the strong-finishing Al Kazeem in the final two furlongs. For a second it looked like the challenger would take the race before Noble Mission resurged into the lead to win by a neck.
Emotional
It was an emotional win for Lady Cecil, who took over the running of Warren Place Stables and the training of Noble Mission after the death last summer of her husband, Sir Henry Cecil.
“This is so special because of what happened two years ago – I keep thinking I’m in a dream and will wake up. It has come true hasn’t it?” said Lady Cecil after the race.
Brothers
Frankel was retired to stud straight after Qipco Champions Day in 2012, while Sir Henry Cecil lost his battle with cancer eight months later.
“I’ve had so much support from so many people and I’m so grateful,” Lady Cecil said.
“Can you imagine when Henry died if we had given everything up? It was easier to keep going at the time and it was a way of staying close to him.”