Frankel (picture), the world’s top-ranked race horse, maintained his unbeaten record yesterday with a hard-fought win in the Champion Stakes, widely expected to be his final race. Frankel made it 14 out of 14 in his stunning three-year career but he had to fight in the Ascot heavy going to wear down the tough French veteran Cirrus Des Aigles by one and three quarter-lengths, to the ecstatic delight of the 35,000 racegoers.