Frankel's son Sogann dies aged seven after accident at North Yorkshire stud

Sogann, the son of Frankel whose first runners will be hitting the track this year, has died aged seven after an accident at Norton Grove Stud in North Yorkshire.

The sad news was confirmed on Thursday by stud owner Richard Lingwood, whose roster for 2023 features Century Dream, Marmelo, Pearl Secret and new arrival Wells Farhh Go.

Sogann, from Frankel’s third crop, was bred in partnership by Al Shaqab Racing from the Royal Academy mare Rumored, making him a half-brother to dual Group 1 juvenile winner Dabirsim.

That pedigree would have fed into his price when offered at the Arqana August Yearling Sale in 2017, when it took a €550,000 bid from Richard Knight to secure him.

However, due to injury he never made the racecourse and in 2020 he stood his first season at Norton Grove, where his fee has been £2,000 ever since.

Lingwood said: “It was an accident last month when he reared up, overbalanced and went down - there was nothing we could do unfortunately.

“He was a grand horse, a good stallion to deal with, but was just unlucky all his life, with injuries at two and three preventing him from running.

“He was not bad natured and a little unusual for a stallion in liking a bit of fuss and attention. It’s sod’s law that there’ll be a good one among his first crop of runners this year.

“He didn’t have a big first book by any means, but I believe that Charlie Johnston, Brian Ellison, Alan Brown and Ruth Carr are among those trainers who have two-year-olds by him.”

News of Wells Farhh Go's arrival at the Norton stud had come just the previous day, and Lingwood added: “He arrived only a couple of days ago. It was too late to get him in 2023 stallion books but Tim [Easterby] has said he’s going to send some mares.” 

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