Frankel is bound for QIPCO British Champions Day!

Frankel is all set for a dazzling farewell on QIPCO British Champions Day, the day that he demolished his rivals in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes last year. Image courtesy of racingfotos.com.

Frankel’s next and, in all probability, last race will be the £1.3m QIPCO Champion Stakes, Europe’s most valuable mile and a quarter race, at Ascot on QIPCO British Champions Day, Saturday 20 October.

That news was confirmed today by Lord Grimthorpe, racing manager to Frankel’s owner, Prince Khalid Abdulla.

What a day is in prospect!

Not only will racing fans be able to bid farewell to the greatest racehorse any of us have probably ever seen, or are ever likely to see, when he tackles the defending race champion and the second best horse in the world this year, Cirrus des Aigles, but they will also be able to enjoy a host of other scintillating contests with the final races in each of the QIPCO British Champions Series categories taking place that afternoon.

That is likely to mean Excelebration, so often in Frankel’s shadow while the world’s best racehorse contested races in the Mile division, looking to win Europe’s richest mile race, the £1m Queen Elizabeth II Stakes sponsored by QIPCO.

He could well be up against the brilliant ex-French filly, Beauty Parlour, who is now trained like Frankel by Sir Henry Cecil, and another top class filly in Elusive Kate.

It could mean the Gold Cup winner, Colour Vision, seeking another Ascot success in the QIPCO British Champions Long Distance Cup, top sprinters like Mayson contesting the QIPCO British Champions Sprint and some of the best female middle distance stars in the QIPCO British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes.

Ticket sales for QIPCO British Champions Day have had an immediate surge today following the news that Frankel will be seeking to make it 14 wins out of 14 that day, with Premier Enclosure tickets now certain to sell out a lot earlier than last year.

Ascot may look to add some temporary facilities in the Grandstand enclosure to increase its capacity, but tickets for this are also likely to sell out in advance.

Rod Street, British Champions Series Chief Executive, said: “We are already well ahead of last year’s sales at this point and the news that Frankel is definitely coming, probably for his farewell race, means that not only is a Premier sell-out guaranteed, but a complete sell-out in Grandstand has to be very possible.

“The Juddmonte International Day crowd was over 50% up thanks to the great horse’s appearance at York last week, such is his star status.

“He really is a once-in-a-lifetime equine superstar and we are just so delighted that he is returning to Britain’s biggest Flat raceday for a second time.

"We are going to plan the best possible send-off for him.”

To purchase tickets via Ascot now, CLICK HERE.