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Frankel
- The Greatest Racehorse of All Time and the Sport That Made Him
- Narrated by: Rupert Bush
- Length: 11 hrs and 22 mins
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Frankel
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Summary
In horse racing greatness is defined by speed. Being the second fastest counts for little. You have to win. And win. And keep winning until every challenger of your generation is put to the sword. Of the twelve horses lined up on Newmarket Heath that 2011 day, one would do just that. And more. To become the greatest racehorse that has ever lived.
Frankel was born on 11 February 2008, with four white socks and a blaze, from impressive equine lines on both his parents’ sides. Simon Cooper revisits the whole of the horse’s life, giving readers an inside tour of the calm oasis that is life a stud farm, where a foal will live with his mother for the first year of his life. Next, the atmosphere of heady possibility that marks the early days of training. Roadwork. Gallops. Trials. Turning raw potential into something more. Frankel begins to set himself apart.
A detailed and fast-paced narrative breathlessly recounts the racing career of the horse who, by his retirement to stud at the age of 4, would be rated the greatest of all time. Cooper weaves the horse’s tale with those of his trainer, battling cancer, the stablehands who coped with his explosive nature, the work rider who tamed him, the the jockey who rode in all fourteen of his races, and the owner who saw his potential from the very beginning. The result is a rich and multifaceted tale of modern horse racing, the lives of everyone involved, human and equine, and the unadulterated glory of winning. And winning everything.
Critic reviews
"Cooper paints a complete picture of Frankel, charting his meteoric rise from the first years of his life through to his glorious send-off when winning the Champion Stakes at Ascot...transporting the reader with his vivid descriptions.... While he is undoubtedly the star of the show, this book is about so much more than just Frankel.... Thanks to Cooper, and his dedication to colouring the blanks in this famous story, we can now know Frankel a little better too." (Racing Post)
"Simon Cooper does a sterling job...a wry, amiable guide, Cooper takes intriguing tangents aplenty...his real skill, though, lies in detailing Frankel's day-to-day life." (i Newspaper)
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What listeners say about Frankel
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Mrs J
- 06-07-22
Grips you
Maybe a little slow to start but once you’re in the thick of it it’s a great listen thoroughly enjoyed it immensely detailed couldn’t recommend enough
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Dude
- 17-11-22
Must read for any racing fan
excellent educating and endearing, well written and narrated for what would not have been an easy task to put perfection of both horse and it's trainer into words , remarkable.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Brian G
- 19-05-23
Frankel
Excellent book, very well researched with detailed descriptions and information. Simply the best race horse.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Ms S D Lawton
- 22-01-24
The recognition of horses personalities
Sometimes the narrative is quite flat. I would of liked a bit more enthusiasm still it was very entertaining
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 14-08-20
Irritating
The performance by Rupert Bush almost made me refuse at the first fence. His jerky two or three words pause followed by some more words pause is like pause riding pause a lame horse. Only the love of Frankel got me to the finish. A pity.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- J. Webb
- 18-03-22
Missing chapter??
I enjoyed this book a lot, but where is the missing chapter?
The Duel on the Downs refers to the race between Frankel and Canford Cliff, the previous year’s top miler; I looked forward to listening to it but... where is it? The chapter starts then just stops.☹️
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- L.M.
- 29-12-22
Interesting, knowledgable and uplifting
An interesting, knowledgable and uplifting account of the true story of Frankel the race horse providing wonderful behind the scenes information about the breeding and racing industry running alongside the uplifting and romantic story of Frankel’s journey from birth through to his final victory. A great sports book and story.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Reading Addict
- 01-08-21
Really enjoyable and interesting story
Fascinating insight into the story of this great racehorse and read beautifully by Rupert Bush. An ideal audible book.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Norman Heywood
- 08-12-22
Brilliant book by Simon Cooper.
loved the story could have really enjoyed it for a second time ,great fan of flat horse racing.Great book.
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