Crowning his achievements and influence on the racing landscape is the venerable Frankel (GB), flawless in his career and crowned Champion sire in 2021, as well as globetrotting wondermare, Enable (GB). Juddmonte-owned horses have won 76 races thus far in 2023 with Group or Grade I wins from Elite Power, Whitebeam (GB), Westover (GB), Chaldean (GB), and Set Piece (GB).

“Prince Khalid was an owner-breeder like no other, with his numerous cherished champions, including perhaps the greatest thoroughbred of them all in Frankel. Through his racing and breeding operation, Juddmonte, the Prince has left a legacy which, now under the direction of his sons, Prince Fahad, Prince Saud and Prince Ahmed, continues to have a massive influence on the sport globally, at the same time as giving great pleasure and entertainment to his family,” said Douglas Erskine Crum, Chief Executive of Juddmonte.

“Prince Khalid would have been very pleased to be recognised by the British horse racing industry in this way and, on behalf of his whole family, I thank British racing and the QIPCO British Champions Series Hall of Fame for this exceptional accolade.”

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The horses on the list were selected by the Hall of Fame's eight-member judging panel comprised of experts from across the horse racing industry. It is now up to the public to choose which of the shortlist will enter the Hall of Fame.
Launched in 2021, the Hall of Fame immortalises Modern Greats of the sport, both human and equine, from 1970 onwards. Trainer Sir Michael Stoute and Sea The Stars became the first inductees of 2023 and officially recognised at Newmarket Racecourse earlier this year.

Ardross won the G1 Gold Cup in 1981 and 1982 and also was a two-time winner of the G2 Yorkshire Cup and G2 Geoffrey Freer S. Le Moss was the first horse to win the Stayers' Triple crown–the Gold Cup, G2 Goodwood Cup and G2 Doncaster Cup–on two occasions in 1978 and 1980. Persian Punch won 20 of his 63 races and was third twice in the G1 Melbourne Cup. He also recorded three wins in both the G3 Henry II Stakes and G3 Jockey Club Cup. Stradivarius retired in 2022 with a record of 18 European Group races wins, included three successive Gold Cup victories and four triumphs in the G1 Goodwood Cup. He also won the G2 Yorkshire Cup and G2 Lonsdale Cup on three occasions, plus two G2 Doncaster Cups and a G2 British Champions Long Distance Cup. Yeats is the only four-time winner of the Gold Cup (2006-2009) and also annexed the G1 Coronation Cup at Epsom, the Goodwood Cup two times, plus an G1 Irish St Leger and G1 Prix Royal-Oak.

“It was quite the task for the panel to agree upon the shortlist and this was the most engaged and animated debate we have had so far,” Rod Street, non-voting chair of the panel, said. “This reflects the great affection in which stayers are held as well as how greatness this is measured – either in terms of performance or impact on the sport – both of which are part of the Hall of Fame voting criteria.”

The public vote will close on Wednesday, July 26. To register a vote, visit the Hall of Fame website. Fans can also vote on interactive screens in the Hall of Fame exhibition within the Thompson Gallery at the National Horseracing Museum in Newmarket.

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This past Saturday, either 2,000 Guineas day, Kentucky Derby day, or Coronation Day, depending on your persuasion, was no exception. With the car park double-stacked and trainers and jockeys all about, Joe Foley, waiting for the off with Steve Parkin and Danny Tudhope, exclaimed, “It's just like being at The Yard”, in reference to Newmarket's famous watering hole not far from Tattersalls. 

The Gosden string swept by, with Teddy Grimthorpe on hand to watch Imad Al Sagar's Classic heroine Nashwa (GB) (Frankel {GB}) in action, and they were followed by Sir Michael Stoute's team from Freemason Lodge. Philip Robinson and Richard Brown were in attendance, guaranteeing the appearance of reigning Derby hero Desert Crown (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}), with Kevin Bradshaw in the saddle, Sarah Denniff at his side, as the countdown continues to his much-awaited comeback. 

The previous evening, Stoute has been a special guest at a reception at the National Horse Racing Museum to mark his induction into the QIPCO British Champions Series Hall of Fame, along with Sea The Stars (Ire). The latter's owner and co-breeder Christopher Tsui had flown in from Hong Kong for the event, and his trainer John Oxx from Ireland. In the hands of the excellent Lydia Hislop, the interviews at the ceremony were both revealing and emotional.

Earlier on at the Rowley Mile, Stoute and Sea The Stars had combined to provide a maiden success for Infinite Cosmos (Ire), a market springer for the Oaks, which may just come a stroke too soon following the unfortunate abandonment of Sandown's meeting a week earlier, at which she had been set to make her seasonal resumption.

Stoute, ever the master of the slow burn with his Classic prospects, would not be pressed on the matter of the likelihood of Epsom for the elegant chestnut filly. As the great owner-breeders of yore fade into the past, it would be a poignant marker for Infinite Cosmos to contest a Classic this year, running in memory of her late breeder Sir Evelyn de Rothschild. Interviewed after the race, the trainer's mouth twitched a little, which may just have been irritation at the reporters' questions, or may, in a more fanciful light, be a flicker of evidence of the regard in which he holds the long-striding filly who represents connections who have provided his stable with such names as Crystal Ocean (GB) and Notnowcato (GB). We look forward to seeing her next in the G3 Tattersalls Musidora S. at York on May 17, which was confirmed as her next start to TDN on Monday.

There was less twitching and more active wriggling and fidgeting by the time Stoute was put under an actual spotlight in the Museum and grilled by Hislop, who thanked him profusely for not running away from her, as he is wont to do when faced by a microphone at the races.

The horses may speak for themselves there, but when Stoute is pressed to speak on their behalf, remembering which of them he loved the best, he is reluctant to choose from a swathe of greats but eventually leans on those global gallopers, Singspiel (Ire) and Pilsudski (Ire). Quite a response from the man who trained Shergar (Ire), but Stoute is rarely predictable.

“Because they raced until they were five-year-olds,” he explained. “And they were international horses, they had a wonderful record. Their constitutions were tremendous, their temperaments. They were just lovely horses to have.”

Of course the irony with Stoute is that the less he says, the more people want to know what he thinks. Like his favoured jockey, Ryan Moore, he is clearly uncomfortable in the media glare. His deliberate pauses before answering and mid-sentence are unlikely to be because he is at a loss for words; more probably because he knows how readily words can be pounced upon and misinterpreted. Clearly, however, at 77, he has lost none of his appetite for training. In an industry so preoccupied with viewing racehorses as commodities rather than than the living works in progress that they all are at their tender ages, to hear Stoute's few words was heartening.

“I think you're got to love horses,” he told Hislop. “They are fascinating, so it's intriguing work. But the staff are so important, and relationships with the staff are so important. So I find that quite fascinating, getting their opinions.

“It's all team work. The rider has to contribute a great deal and the people that feed him early in the morning. I'm not trying to be immodest. It's interesting, if you love horses and you love racing.”

The many long-serving members of staff at Freemason Lodge speak volumes as to the two-way loyalty of those involved at the Stoute stable, top to bottom. 

The Understated Oxx

From one of the most cherished members of the British racing fraternity, the microphone was passed to John Oxx, for whom the same comments apply in Ireland. Standing alongside him was Christopher Tsui, who, as an 11-year-old boy, watched his parents' horse Urban Sea win the Arc. Though that occasion was memorable enough in itself, who there that day could even have imagined the legacy that mare would leave, both for her owners and for the Thoroughbred breed? To the wider world, it could be argued that her greatest gift was Galileo (Ire). To the Tsui family, it was another of her sons, Sea The Stars.

When Christopher Tsui was asked by Hislop when John Oxx had first let on that Sea The Stars was something special, he replied, “John is very careful. So I think it was after he won the Guineas.”

As the laughter died down, Oxx added in his own defence, “You have to manage owners' expectations, so if you set the bar too high to begin with, there's only one way, and that's down. Mind you, I could have been rash in my early assessments and he wouldn't have let you down.”

But his sensible caution, which one imagines would be echoed by Stoute, was evident again when he said, “The most commonly asked question for me was 'When did you know he was a great horse?' Each race is a new test, and until you've won the next one you can never be sure.”

In the Footsteps of Frankel

For John Oxx and Christopher Tsui, the dream season for Sea The Stars was only really beginning this week 14 years ago when he won the 2,000 Guineas. This year, the King's procession after the Coronation reached Buckingham Palace just ahead of the off for the first race on 2,000 Guineas day, precision timing of which Her Late Majesty would surely have approved. 

On a momentous day for the Balding family, Clare was perhaps able to conclude her royal commentating duties for the BBC in time to switch on ITV Racing to watch her brother Andrew land the third British Classic of his career. 

Claiming a fifth victory in the 2,000 Guineas for Juddmonte Farms, Chaldean (GB) was the first of son of Frankel (GB) to emulate his sire's jaw-dropping performance on the Rowley Mile 12 years ago, and happily this came on the first occasion that Prince Saud, son of the late Prince Khalid Abdullah, had visited a British racecourse.

With such a powerful stallion roster and broodmare band at its disposal, the Juddmonte name doesn't appear on the buyers' lists at sales too often, but when it does, those charged with making the purchases don't often get it wrong. Arrogate was one such example in recent years, and Chaldean, whose Guineas success came four days shy of his actual third birthday, can be added alongside him.

The chestnut colt is the product of Whitsbury Manor Stud's breeding programme, and his dam Suelita (GB) (Dutch Art {GB}) has been making a determined bid for blue hen status of late, with five of her six offspring having earned black type, including the Group 2 winner Alkumait (GB) (Showcasing {GB}).

Whitsbury Manor also featured as the breeder over the weekend of the Listed Charles II S. winner Shouldvebeenaring (GB) and easy juvenile debutant winner Elite Status (GB), both by resident stallion Havana Grey (GB). 

Despite this great run, the stud's director Ed Harper was still doing a very convincing Eeyore impression at Newmarket, claiming ahead of the race that Chaldean had little chance. Perhaps he was just taking a leaf out of the John Oxx book of expectation management, and we are happy to report that, despite the teeming rain that had persisted throughout Saturday afternoon, Harper was more Tigger-like after the Guineas. 

A Delight of Derby Winners

Many more people had that Tigger bounce to their step by Sunday, when sunshine brought an altogether more upbeat feel to proceedings at Newmarket. 

From the vision of Desert Crown's more substantial four-year-old frame on Saturday morning, we were treated to the sight of the second of three Derby winners currently remaining in training when the magnificent beast that is Adayar (Ire) stepped into the parade ring. Frankel had his fingerprints all over Newmarket's group contests, with his Irish Derby and St Leger winner Hurricane Lane (Ire) having made a return to the winner's enclosure after Friday's G2 Jockey Club S., followed by his old mucker Adayar in the rescheduled G3 Gordon Richards S. on Sunday. 

Royal Ascot for the Prince of Wales's S. Is the most likely target for the latter, who will surely relish better ground but did everything required to get his career back on track after his narrow defeat by Bay Bridge (GB) in the Champion S. during a season in which he appeared only twice. 

Godolphin's excellent day continued when Mawj (GB) (Exceed And Excel {Aus}) doggedly repelled the favourite Tahiyra (Ire) (Siyouni {FR}) in the 1,000 Guineas to give Saeed Bin Suroor his first Group 1 win in Britain in a decade and a first major success for Oisin Murphy since his comeback from a 14-month suspension.

Murphy was excellent, too, on Classic prospect Running Lion (GB) (Roaring Lion), who was one of two stakes winners over the weekend for David Howden, whose eponymous company had stepped in to sponsor the entire undercard at Newmarket, backing up QIPCO's sponsorship of both Guineas races. 

“That was a magical moment,” shouted Howden to David Redvers, with whom he bred Running Lion from the Dansili (GB) mare Bella Nouf (GB).

A man not short of enthusiasm, he told the crowd of journalists, “Amazing. It's so wonderful to see her win today. She's such a special horse, being by Roaring Lion, who had a very special place in our hearts. Today, for me, that's as good as it gets.”

Explaining the relationship a little further, Redvers added, “Bella Nouf was one of the first mares we bought together. When we bought her I had to take a big loan because I came to the conclusion that we had to buy some nice mares to support Roaring Lion. David came in as a partner in several, and I think he's probably got 25 horses in total now.

“Isn't it weird the way it happens? Originally, he bought a day on the gallops at the school my sister's children go to and his children went to. I rang him recently and said there was the opportunity to sponsor the whole undercard here, and he's never said no to me–though I usually have to take a leg in something.

“He's been incredibly lucky but I think it's a bit like his business, where he gets enthusiastic people around him who are investors in the business in exactly the same way as I am with the horses.”

Redvers is understandably emotional when it comes to the late Roaring Lion, who died after covering for only one season at Tweenhills, and who was trained, like Running Lion, at the Gosdens' Clarehaven Stables. 

“I went and stood at the back of the lift on the way down [from the grandstand]. I didn't want to have anyone around me,” he said in the winner's enclosure.

“I also have to stress that this is all down to Sheikh Fahad. If he hadn't bought Roaring Lion, and stood Roaring Lion, and sponsored this meeting through QIPCO, then we wouldn't have any part of it either. David gets on really well with Sheikh Fahad and they have shares together in several horses. It's a happy marriage. Unless you are running your own country, to play in this game at a decent level you need to have partnerships. It's a much better sport when you're sharing the fun, and it's a much easier sport when you're sharing the downside.”

He added, “You pick out horses in your life. That's the great thing about this game. My career started with a filly called Lady Rebecca, and then Dunaden changed it beyond recognition, and Roaring Lion changed it again. Now we have Running Lion. That's the reason we do it, for horses like this.”

Time to Heed the Warnings

Whether we call it a sport, a business, or an industry, many people involved with horse racing will share the sentiments expressed above by Redvers. We all hope for that good horse to come along, and we love the ones who are not so good just the same. 

However, as events at the signature meetings of Churchill Downs and Aintree have shown in recent weeks, we must never rest when it comes to doing the very best for the horses in our care. This has to start at the top and be upheld throughout, and if horsemen and women cannot get behind reforms to the sport made in the best interests of the creatures on whom many of us base our life's work, then they have no business being in the business. 

On a personal note, I know of almost no happier feeling than standing on Newmarket Heath, training morning or racing afternoon, with the sun on my face and the drumming of horses' hooves in my ears. How to reconcile this near-lifelong love with the portrayal of the sport on mainstream platforms outside racing is a question I am finding harder to answer. And it's not just ill-informed protest groups being given uncontested airtime in the build-up to the Grand National. 

Consider these lines, from the Washington Post on the day the Kentucky Derby was run at a Churchill Downs reeling from the fall-out from the fatalities of five horses during the previous week: “Thoroughbred horse racing is to drug abuse as the Fourth of July is to beer and hot dogs. Win or die.”

Or these, from the New York Times the next day, after another two horses were euthanised on the Derby undercard: “It is the horses that are feeding everyone in a multibillion-dollar industry. It is the humans who are letting them down.”

For most participants within the sport, abusing horses with so-called performance-enhancing drugs is unthinkable, but that's not enough. It must become abhorrent to all. Now is not the time for complacency or obstinance or cheating. If we want this great love affair to continue, now is the time for a public display of commitment.

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“The Hall of Fame is a great initiative that promotes the best in our sport and stimulates further interest in the National Horseracing Museum in Newmarket,” Prescott said. “I'm surprised and honoured to be invited to join such a tip-top Hall of Fame judging panel, and to be tasked with making such important decisions.”

Inductions are decided upon by a panel of horseracing experts. This year's class will be announced ahead of the QIPCO Guineas Festival, while the ceremony will take place during that event in May. The National Horseracing Museum in Newmarket will also unveil an updated Hall of Fame exhibition at that time.

Click here for more information.

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Dettori, 51, is the third jockey to be inducted after Lester Piggott and Pat Eddery. He has ridden almost 3,300 British winners, third to Piggott and Willie Carson, as well as celebrated major victories in at least 24 countries. The Italian holds the record for scores in the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Tromphe, with six. One of Dettori's greatest triumphs in the saddle was riding all seven winners on a card at Ascot on Sept. 28, 1996. Dubbed the 'Magnificent Seven', the feat's cumulative odds were 25,051-1.

“Winning every race on a card was something that I didn't think was possible, not in my lifetime anyway,” Dettori recalled. “It's the biggest achievement of my career, without question.”

The reinsman also has 270 wins at the Group 1 level to date. In Britain, he has booted home the winners of 21 Classics, among them triumphs in the G1 Derby aboard Authorized (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}) in 2008 and Golden Horn (GB) (Cape Cross {Ire}) in 2015. At Royal Ascot, he has 76 winners to his credit, second only to Piggott. Dettori has been named the top jockey at the Royal Meeting eight times.

Dettori said, “Joining the QIPCO British Champions Series Hall of Fame gives me an immense feeling of pride and I'm honoured for my career to be recognised in this way, placing me alongside others who I have looked up to my whole life. Lester was my idol when I came over from Italy and I was lucky to ride against him on a few occasions, while Pat was the most gifted horseman I have ever seen.

“When I first started out, my ambition was to be a mid-division jockey. This spiralled out of control early on; I quickly became Champion Jockey, I got an awesome job with Luca [Cumani], and the dream came alive. When I first set out on this path, I didn't quite believe in myself but, as things snowballed, I realised I could make it to become the jockey I am today.”

Trained by Guy Harwood for the late Prince Khalid Abdullah's Juddmonte operation, Dancing Brave is the sixth horse to enter the Hall of Fame, 36 years after his G1 2000 Guineas victory. Bred by Glen Oak Farm and Gainesway Farm in Kentucky, Dancing Brave was a $200,000 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Summer Yearling Sale graduate and won both starts at two. The bay colt returned at three to take six races in 1986, including the G1 2000 Guineas, G1 Eclipse S., G1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth S. and a strong renewal of the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. His only losses were an unlucky second in the G1 Derby to Shahrastani (Nijinsky II) whom he beat in the Arc, and a fourth to Manila (Lyphard) in the GI Breeders' Cup Turf at Santa Anita in November of 1986. The colt was so highly thought of that since the International Classifications began in 1977, only Frankel (GB) (Galileo {Ire}), a Juddmonte homebred and fellow Hall of Famer, has been rated higher.

“On behalf of Prince Khalid's family, for Dancing Brave to be the second horse owned by him, after Frankel (GB), to be inducted into the QIPCO British Champions Series Hall of Fame is testament to Prince Khalid's passion and vision for the Thoroughbred,” said Douglas Erskine Crum, Chief Executive of Juddmonte. “It is another significant landmark in Prince Khalid's legacy which endures into the future. Everyone at Juddmonte is delighted that Dancing Brave has received this prestigious accolade.”

Added Harwood, “He was definitely the horse of the decade (1980s), if not amongst the top two or three in the last 40 years. What made him different to others was that most horses were specialists–either specialist milers, mile and a quarter or mile and a half–but Dancing Brave would have been a champion over any distance.

“My absolute standout memory of Dancing Brave has to be winning the Arc de Triomphe; it was one of the occasions where I had complete confidence that the horse was going to win. I was never in any doubt that he was at his best and at his best, he was unbeatable.”

The National Horseracing Museum in Newmarket has also established an official display for the Hall of Fame, providing visitors with an opportunity to find out more about some of the most adored and important stars of British Flat racing in person. To view videos of the inductees, please go to the Hall of Fame's website.

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From celebrating her first winner in 1949, the Queen has been a consistent presence  in racing as an owner/breeder through eight decades, as well as acting as an unofficial figurehead for the sport in Britain, particularly though its globally recognised flagship Flat meeting, Royal Ascot.

“I suspect that The Queen will have a lot of inner pride in being invited into the Hall of Fame,” said Her Majesty's bloodstock and racing advisor John Warren. “The Queen's contribution to racing and breeding derives from a lifelong commitment. Her love of horses and their welfare comes with a deep understanding of what is required to breed, rear, train and ride a thoroughbred.”

He added, “Her Majesty's fascination is unwavering and her pleasure derives from all of her horses–always accepting the outcome of their ability so gracefully.”

Sir Francis Brooke, The Queen's Representative at Ascot Racecourse, said, “The inclusion of The Queen within the Hall of Fame recognises her unique contribution to the world of racing, not only as an enthusiast, but also as a successful owner and breeder and as its most important patron.”

The Queen has been represented by more than 1,800 winners, including the Classic winners Carrozza (GB), Highclere (GB), Pall Mall (GB) and Dunfermline (GB). She has twice been Champion Flat Owner in Britain, in 1954 and 1957. In 2022, The Queen will become the first monarch to celebrate a Platinum Jubilee, with the Derby at Epsom set to form part of the official celebration of her historic 70-year reign.

Sir Michael Stoute, the 10-time champion trainer whose many successes for The Queen include training her Gold Cup winner Estimate (Ire), said, “Her Majesty will be thrilled to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. She richly deserves it because her contribution has been enormous. She loves it so much.

“I've found that training for The Queen comes with no pressure. Because of her understanding, her deep knowledge and her thirst for more. She's always thinking ahead–what I'm going to do with this animal, am I going to breed it, who should I breed it to, temperament, speed, stamina. She's fascinated with the whole idea and we must remember it's a very long time that she's been doing it.”

Recalling Estimate's famous Royal Ascot victory, Ryan Moore, who has ridden 71 winners for The Queen, added, “The thing I remember most about that day is the cheering. I probably hadn't ever received a reception like that at the Royal Meeting, or any time before really. It was different on that day–you can see with The Queen how much it means to her; the way she smiles when she's looking at her horses, the enjoyment she was getting out of that. People want to see her do well and winning the Gold Cup, it's hard to top that. It was such a special day.”

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His daughter Natasha Eddery-Dunsdon, a competitive showjumper said, “He was, and always will be, one of the all-time greats. When I think about what he was like as a jockey, I think about his quiet concentration, his focus, the determination to win. That's what set him apart, his desire to win and to beat his comrades–winning was everything to him, second best just wasn't an option.

“He had the best hands of any jockey, he was a kind rider, intuitive, he just connected with horses. If he were riding a puller, he'd simply give the horse the rein and drop his hands on the neck–I've personally tried this and I always get run away with–but they never did that with dad, they just stayed totally relaxed.

“Entering the Hall of Fame would have made him so proud; I only wish he were still here to experience this special moment. It's one myself and my family will cherish.”

Jockey Frankie Dettori said, “We used to call him 'God' because he was like God.”

Four-time champion trainer Richard Hannon, Sr., who Eddery rode for many years, added, “I'm sure Pat would have loved to have been inducted into the Hall of Fame. It's nice to be remembered. He was a very good jockey, he was very good with horses and he had a great memory of them too. If he rode one 18 months before, he'd know exactly all about the horse. He had a great brain.

“You didn't have to tell Pat anything really. He just went out and did his job. As a trainer you do the job to ensure the horse is fit and everything is fine, but he used to go out and do his own thing, however the race worked out. That makes a jockey for me–if the race doesn't go right for you, you think of another way round it.”

Other champions associated with the late jockey included El Gran Senor (Northern Dancer), Zafonic (Gone West), Danehill (Danzig), Sadler's Wells (Northern Dancer) and Warning (GB) (Known Fact). Among his quartet of Arc winners was Dancing Brave (Lyphard) in 1986. He also rode Pebbles (GB) (Sharpen Up {GB}) to victory in the 1985 GI Breeders' Cup Turf and the 1986 Japan Cup winner Jupiter Island (GB) (St. Paddy {GB}), both for trainer Clive Brittain.

His family will be presented with a commissioned medal, designed by Asprey and unique within British racing, which will be displayed as part of a special Hall of Fame exhibition at QIPCO British Champions Day at Ascot on Oct. 16.

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Angus Gold, Racing Manager to Sheikh Hamdan's Shadwell operation, said of the GI Breeders' Cup Sprint runner-up, “All of us at Shadwell are thrilled to hear that Dayjur has been voted into the QIPCO British Champion Series Hall of Fame to join some of the greats of our business, both equine and human.

“He was an outstanding racehorse and it will be a huge thrill to Sheikh Hamdan's family to see him honoured in this way. We are very grateful for this award.”

Dayjur's connections will receive a specially commissioned medal, designed by Asprey and unique within British racing to mark the achievement. This medal will be on display as part of the Hall of Fame exhibition at QIPCO British Champions Day at Ascot Racecourse on Oct. 16. As part of the Class of 2021, Dayjur joins inaugural inductees Frankel (GB) (Galileo {Ire}) and Lestor Piggott, trainer Vincent O'Brien and 1970s superstars Brigadier Gerard (GB) (Queen's Hussar {GB}), Mill Reef (Never Bend), and Nijinsky II (Northern Dancer). There will be more inductions announced prior to QIPCO British Champions Day.

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Marking the 10th anniversary of QIPCO's sponsorship of the British Champions Series, the Hall of Fame was launched in May with the inaugural inductees Lester Piggott and Frankel (GB).

During an illustrious career, O'Brien notched 141 Group 1 wins, with 67 of those coming in the UK, including six Derby winners. Prior to that his extraordinary success in the National Hunt field included training three consecutive winners of the Grand National. Moreover, he played a hugely significant role in the development of Coolmore Stud in partnership with his son-in-law John Magnier and Robert Sangster. O'Brien's particular liking of the stock of Northern Dancer led to some of Ballydoyle's and Coolmore's leading lights, including his fellow inductee and Triple Crown winner Nijinsky, and the Sangster-bred supersire Sadler's Wells.

“No racing decade ever had a start like the 1970s. Nijinsky, Mill Reef and Brigadier Gerard–three horses of the century only a year apart. No Derby winner more majestic than Nijinsky, no Arc winner more of a mould-breaker than Mill Reef, no miler more complete than Brigadier Gerard,” said Hall of Fame panellist and broadcaster Brough Scott.

“Irish genius Vincent O'Brien added to the magic of that era, setting a standard most could only dream of matching. He changed the racing and training landscape, and his legacy lives on at Ballydoyle and Coolmore–which remain two of the world's greatest racing operations to this day. 

“They individually and collectively deserve these places within the Hall of Fame and the panel and I offer our heartfelt congratulations to their connections.” 

Vincent O'Brien's son Charles said, “The QIPCO British Champion Series Hall of Fame is a wonderful initiative and, on behalf of the O'Brien family, we are absolutely delighted that Vincent O'Brien is the first trainer to be inducted. His achievements, both in the National Hunt and Flat spheres, are unparalleled and highly unlikely to ever be matched. Additionally, his creation of Ballydoyle as a training centre and his involvement in the early days of Coolmore Stud will ensure that his legacy will live on. We would like to thank QIPCO and the judging panel for helping to ensure that this is the case.”

Nijinsky, whose name is intertwined with both O'Brien and Lester Piggott, claimed the Triple Crown in 1970, a feat that has not been repeated in the intervening years. From a hugely successful stallion career, he remains the only sire to have had a winner of the Derby and the Kentucky Derby in the same year, in Shahrastani and Ferdinand.

Brigadier Gerard, bred in Britain by his owners John and Jean Hislop, was ridden by Joe Mercer to win 17 of his 18 races, including the 2000 Guineas, two Queen Elizabeth II S., and two Champion S.

Mill Reef, trained by Ian Balding, was runner-up to Brigadier Gerard in the 2000 Guineas of 1971 but was never beaten again in subsequent starts, including in the Derby and Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. Fifty years on from Mill Reef's magnificent 3-year-old season, his trainer's son Andrew Balding is currently leading the trainers' championship in Britain. 

Connections of the four inductees will receive a specially commissioned medal which will be displayed at Doncaster on Cazoo St Leger day (Saturday) as part of a QIPCO British Champions Series Hall of Fame exhibition. The exhibition can be found within the racecourse's grandstand in the Grandstand Enclosure. 

A number of additional inductions will be announced in the build-up to QIPCO British Champions Day at Ascot on Saturday, Oct. 16. These include one horse chosen by the public, who can vote here until Sept. 24.

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Born on Nov. 5, 1935, the 11-time Champion Jockey (1960, 1964-1971, and 1982) began riding at age 10, and booted home his final winner at age 60. Among the champions that Piggott rode was British Triple Crown hero Nijinsky (Northern Dancer) for trainer Vincent O'Brien. Nicknamed the Long Fellow, Piggott is 5′ 7 ½”, and he rode 4,493 winners including 30 British Classics and 116 wins at Royal Ascot during his lengthy career in the saddle. His first winner came at age 12 with The Chase at Haydock Park in 1948.

Of the 30 Classics he won, there were nine victories in the G1 Derby: Never Say Die (1954), Crepello (1957), St Paddy (1960), Sir Ivor (1968), Nijinsky (1970), Roberto (1972), Empery (1976), The Minstrel (1977) and Teenoso (1983). Piggott also claimed the Irish equivalent five times and Derbys in France, Germany, Italy, Sweden, Singapore and Slovakia. Eight G1 St Legers went his way, as well as six G1 Oaks, a quintet of G1 2000 Guineas and a brace of G1 1000 Guineas. France's greatest race, the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, was claimed by Piggott three times, two of those titles with Alleged (Hoist the Flag) in 1977-78.

Piggott retired from the saddle in 1985, but returned several years later for a brief comeback before retiring for good. Click here to view a QIPCO British Champions Series Hall of Fame video on the great 85-year-old reinsman.

The highest-rated Thoroughbred in history, Frankel was foaled on Feb. 11, 2008. Named for the late trainer Bobby Frankel, the Juddmonte hombred debuted at Newmarket on Aug. 13, 2010 and promptly earned 'TDN Rising Stardom' for his half-length win over subsequent Group 1 winner Nathaniel (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). The Sir Henry Cecil trainee added a win at Doncaster by 13 lengths that September, as well as the G2 Juddmote Royal Lodge S. later that month and the G1 Dubi Dewhurst S. to seal his champion juvenile honours in October.

After a dominant victory in the April 2011 G3 Totesport.com Greenham S., the late Prince Khalid Abdullah's bay colt exploded away to win the G1 QIPCO 2000 Guineas by six lengths later that month. He rattled off additional wins in the G1 St James's Palace S, G1 QIPCO Sussex S., and G1 QIPCO Queen Elizabeth II S. that year and was once again named a champion.

Sportingly kept in training at four, Frankel picked up right where he had left off, with a score in Newbury's G1 JLT Lockings S. in May, before another Royal Ascot victory, this time in the G1 Queen Anne S. in June. Another triumph in the Sussex S. in early August of 2012 followed, and he ventured beyond a mile for the first time with a seven-length win in the 10-furlong Juddmonte International S. Frankel's swansong came in the G1 QIPCO Champion S. that October and he once again earned a divisional championship.

Retired to Banstead Manor Stud with a perfect 14-14-0-0 mark and $4,789,144 in earnings, Frankel was named the highest-rated horse on the Longines World Thoroughbred rankings at 140. Ten of his wins were at the highest level and he was the first horse in 60 years to be named a champion at two, three and four.

“I cannot believe in the history of racing that there has ever been a better racehorse,” said the late Sir Henry Cecil, Frankel's trainer, after Frankel had signed off his flawless 14-race career with victory in the QIPCO Champion S. at Ascot in 2012. Click here for a video on the Juddmonte wunderkind and successful sire, who already has 63 black-type winners to his credit.

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