Sunday Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Frankel goes to Hollywood
The story of Britain’s superstar racehorse Frankel and his relationship with trainer Sir Henry Cecil is being made into a film starring Oscar-winner Jeremy Irons.
The 71-year-old horse-mad actor will play the legendary trainer who handled Frankel throughout his unbeaten career.
The film will chart Frankel’s perfect record of 14 wins, culminating in victory in the Champion Stakes at Ascot in 2012.
But it also looks at the special relationship between man and horse.
Irons will also produce the film with Andrew Berg and John Sachs.
He said: “The story of Henry resonated with me immediately. I appreciate the deep relationship shared between Henry and Frankel, a true story of love and affection between a man and his horse.”
Berg and Sachs added: “Jeremy was first choice to play Henry as he has a genuine love for horses.”
Sir Henry, who died in 2013, credited Frankel with pulling him through some of his darkest moments and giving him a second lease of life.
Filmmakers say the connection between the two was “almost spiritual”.
The movie will also focus on how Sir Henry struggled through cancer treatment to make Frankel the greatest champion racehorse of all time.
Filming is due to start later this year.
Frankel has been busy away from the race track, too. The retired throughbred is now at stud on Suffolk farm. He has sired a string of winners and in 2014, his first foal to be sent to auction
was sold for £1.15million.