Converge is the 15th Gr1 winner for Frankel winning Saturday’s J J Atkins Stakes (1600m) for 2yos at Eagle Farm.
Converge came from well back when finishing runner-up last time out in the Gr.2 Sires’ Produce Stakes over 1400m at Eagle Farm and relished the extra furlong here, powering away over the final 200m to score impressively.
It is the third win from seven starts for Converge, raced by his breeders Evergreen Rich and gelded in the hope of making him a racehorse rather than a truculent colt.
He is the first stakes winner for Frankel out of a mare by Shamardal from nine runners. Frankel also has the Canadian Gr.2 winner Elizabeth Bay out of a mare by Giant’s Causeway.
Converge is the first foal of Conversely, who placed twice in Ireland from eight starts, and his granddam Melhor Ainda (Pulpit) a winner of five races including the Gr3 Sands Point Stakes at Belmont Park and finishing runner-up in the Gr1 Hollywood Oaks.
Melhor Ainda is a sister to Back Up Preacher, the dam of LR Glorious Song Stakes at Woodbine winner New York Groove (Verrazano), and is a half-sister to Japanese stakes winner Danon Go Go (Aldeberan).
The third-dam Potrinner (Potrillazo) won the Gr1 Gran Premio 1000 Guineas at San Isidro and was second in the Gran Premio Seleccion (Oaks), she a sister to Argentine Champion Two-Year-Old filly Potridee, Champion 3yo Filly in Argentina Potrizaris, the dam of Japanese Gr.3 winner Dia De La Novia (Sunday Silence), and Argentine Gr1 winner Potrichal, the dam of Gr2 Del Mar Handicap winner T H Approval (With Approval).
Frankel is available for southern hemisphere coverings at Banstead Manor Stud in 2021 for a fee of £70,000.