Frankel half-brother to Marsha sold to Juddmonte in private deal for 850,000gns

Elite Racing Club's Frankel half-brother to champion sprinter Marsha has been sold to Juddmonte Farms for 850,000gns after being bought back for 1,000,000gns at Park Paddocks yesterday.

The final foal out of the wonderful producer Marlinka, who sadly died in March after a bout of colic, the son of Banstead Manor Stud resident Frankel went unsold in the ring on Wednesday after bidding finalised at the one million reserve mark.

Elite Racing's Dan Downie confirmed the sale to Juddmonte, and said on Thursday: "We obviously really liked him but it's a strange time to be selling yearlings and we had to think long and hard as to what he was worth.

"We spoke to Juddmonte this morning and made the decision. They loved the colt and I wasn't surprised to see them back a few times. They're a great company to deal with and we're delighted he's going there."

On the decision to sell such a valuable prospect, Downie added: "We had to think about it long and hard but this was the last chance if we were going to sell. The fact he's going to Juddmonte works out well for everyone. This injection [of cash] helps when it comes to nominating our mares."

The Furnace Mill Stud-consigned colt comes from a prominent family, being a half-brother to classy sprinter Judicial, winner of the Group 3 Coral Charge and Chipchase Stakes. Champion mare Soviet Song, the winner of nine races including the Falmouth, Sussex Stakes and Fillies' Mile in a brilliant career, is also in the immediate family.

The Elite Racing Club-bred Marsha was sold for 6,000,000gns to MV Magnier at the 2017 Tattersalls December Mares Sale, becoming the highest-priced horse sold at a European auction in the process.

The top-class daughter of Acclamation, winner of the Nunthorpe Stakes and Prix de l'Abbaye for Sir Mark Prescott, produced her first foal, by Coolmore's perennial champion sire Galileo, earlier this year.

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