Wonderful Tonight set to visit Frankel for maiden covering

The hugely popular Wonderful Tonight is set for a superstar first mating as trainer David Menuisier revealed on Twitter that the Group 1-winner will visit champion sire Frankel this season.

The daughter of leading French sire Le Havre was bred by Ecurie Taos and sold for €40,000 in a private deal at the 2018 Arqana August Yearling Sale.

Owned by Christopher Wright and sent into training with the West Sussex-based Menuisier, she struck on her second start at two at Saint-Cloud, setting a precedent for her liking of French racing.

Following two placed efforts in Listed company on her first starts at three, Wonderful Tonight ran out a ready winner of the Prix Minerve before a respectable fifth in the Prix Vermeille behind Tarnawa.

Wonderful Tonight then powered to a first Group 1 success in the Prix de Royallieu, before another career highlight when pulling two and a half lengths clear of Dame Malliot in the British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes.

The five-year-old ran three times at four and produced another splendid effort when defeating the likes of Broome, Japan and Sir Ron Priestley in the Hardwicke Stakes at Royal Ascot.

She added the Lillie Langtry Stakes to her prolific CV before a fourth in the Yorkshire Oaks to Snowfall. The French-bred, who had been in line for a crack at the Arc, was retired in September of last year due to fracturing a joint on the gallops.

Menuisier paid tribute to his star filly when saying: "We've had great times with her and will live forever with those happy memories. We've been extremely lucky for a filly like her to be with us and share our lives for two years.

"She was amazing to train, a real character, and just a warrior. She looks a million dollars and we're grateful to have those memories, and look forward to seeing her babies."

The dual Group 1 winner is the latest top-class mare due to visit the two-time world champion Frankel, with the Aga Khan's Tarnawa also booked in for a maiden covering by the newly crowned champion sire.

Wonderful Tonight is the fifth foal out of the winning Montjeu mare Salvation - a half-sister to three black-type horses including American Grade 3 scorer Hostess - and a half-sibling to two winners including the multiple black-type placed Penjade.

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