Frankel: Stud fee for stallion rises to £175,000 a time

Frankel won all 14 of his races before being retired in 2012

A date with one of sport's hottest properties just got an an awful lot more expensive.

Legendary racehorse Frankel already commanded a stud fee of £125,000, but that will rise by 40% to £175,000 next year.

Since retirement from the track five years ago, he has sired a string of winners, including Cracksman in Ascot's Champion Stakes earlier this month.

Frankel is based in Newmarket as part of the Juddmonte breeding operation.

"He's doing phenomenally well and is right up there with the best horses," said Banstead Manor Stud director Simon Mockridge.

Frankel was considered one of the all-time greatest racehorses after winning all 14 of his races before retirement to stud in 2012.

His offspring raced for the first time in 2016 and he remains less expensive than more experienced sires - Dubawi commands £250,000 a time while Frankel's father Galileo is so sought after, that his fee is kept private.

In 2017, Frankel covered - or mated - with 195 mares who were brought in from across Europe, America and Japan.

He is likely to have a reduced book of visits next year, with nearer 150 dates, which in theory could generate more than £20m.

However, some of the mares are owned by Juddmonte and the liaisons are arranged on a "no foal, no fee" basis.

Investors are still likely to be on a winner - the average cost of a Frankel yearling sold at auction is about £500,000.