Frankel big in Japan as he has first winner outside Europe

Frankel's astonishing start to his new career as a stallion shows little sign of stopping as the world champion racehorse sired his ninth winner from just 12 runners when Soul Stirring scored in Japan yesterday.

Soul Stirring is a typically well-bred daughter of the late Sir Henry Cecil’s unbeaten superstar, being out of six-time Group 1-winner Stacelita, and she joins Cunco, Fair Eva, Frankuus, Queen Kindley, Majoris, Seven Heavens, Senator and Toulifaut by finding her way to the winner’s enclosure.

Trained by Kazuo Fujisawa and ridden by Christophe Lemaire, Soul Stirring landed the 1m1f contest on her debut at Sapporo, showing a sharp burst of speed to win by a neck. In the process she became Frankel’s first winner outside Europe from just his second runner.