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A Morning At Juddmonte With Frankel & Lead Artist
In the lead-up to this year’s BOYLE Sports Lockinge Stakes, we turned our attention to the stallions that the race has helped shape
Six of the last ten winners of the Group 1 BOYLE Sports Lockinge Stakes – including 2012’s winner Frankel and 2025’s champion Lead Artist – have gone on to stand at stud, underpinning the race’s reputation as a defining moment in the careers of elite milers, and cementing its status as the stallion-making race.
As we look ahead to the 2026’s renewal on 16th May, we’ve partnered with the European Breeders’ Fund (EBF) to explore life beyond the track – following these exceptional horses in their routine at stud. Funded through contributions from stallions via their covering fees, the EBF is one of the most influential initiatives in racing, reinvesting directly into the sport via prize money subsidies.
All Juddmonte stallions are registered as part of the EBF programme, meaning their progeny are eligible to compete in EBF-funded races – further connecting their legacy on the track with the future of the sport.
Juddmonte has long been synonymous with excellence, producing racehorses of the highest calibre. Among them is the unrivalled Frankel, who now resides at Banstead Manor Stud in Newmarket alongside fellow Lockinge winner Lead Artist.
Frankel’s victory in the 2012 Lockinge Stakes marked his sixth Group 1 success in a campaign that would see him retire unbeaten, with a further four consecutive Group 1 wins later that same season. Since then, he has spent the last 14 years producing top-level performers and cementing his legacy as one of the most influential stallions of the modern era.
At the heart of his daily routine is his long-time handler, Rob Bowley, who has cared for Frankel since the very beginning of his stallion career.
“He’s a great friend, and a wonderful horse to look after. I’m blessed to look after him.”
Now 18, Frankel follows a well-established routine – with covering duties in the morning before being turned out from 8:30am, alongside stud-mate, Lead Artist.
The most recent addition to Banstead Manor, Lead Artist arrives as the reigning BOYLE Sports Lockinge Stakes champion. His victory last season – a narrow success over favourite Dancing Gemini – was delivered in the second-fastest time in the race’s history.
The performance proved the defining moment of his racing career, and he retired to stud at the end of the 2025 season.
Under the care of Felipe Lopes, who has overseen his transition to stud life, Lead Artist is embarking on the next chapter of a promising story.
“He came here at the end of September, so he’s settled very well. He does his job very well in the covering shed – we’re very pleased with him.”
Later this year, he is set to travel to Australia to begin his career in the Southern Hemisphere, further extending Juddmonte’s global breeding influence.
Our morning at Banstead Manor offered a rare insight into the operations behind one of the sport’s most prestigious breeding programmes, and the enduring legacy of a race that continues to shape generations to come.
