Since retiring to stud, Galileo has become one of the world's leading stallions and has been champion sire of Great Britain and Ireland multiple times.

His other progeny include Cape Blanco, Frankel, Golden Lilac, Nathaniel, New Approach, Rip Van Winkle and Ruler of the World.

[2] Noble Mission's dam is Kind, a daughter of Danehill, who was trained by Roger Charlton and won two Listed races.

[3] Kind is now a broodmare for Juddmonte Farms and her most famous foal is Frankel, Noble Mission's full-brother, who won ten Group 1 races and retired unbeaten.

[11] Noble Mission never ran in the Derby, but instead went to Royal Ascot for the King Edward VII Stakes, where he faced Thought Worthy again, along with Derby-third Astrology, Thomas Chippendale and Initiator.

After being impeded earlier in the finishing straight, he took the lead with one furlong still to run, but could not hold off stablemate Thomas Chippendale, who won the race by half a length, with Noble Mission coming second.

In the early stages he was held up near the rear of the field by Tom Queally, before starting to close on the leaders with two furlongs remaining.

He took the lead one furlong out and raced level with Encke (who won the St. Leger later in the year) right to the finishing line, with Noble Mission winning by a nose.

[13] On 22 August, Noble Mission finished fourth behind winner Thought Worthy in the Great Voltigeur Stakes at York.

[14] On his following start, Noble Mission dropped in class for the Listed Tapster Stakes, which is run over one-and-a-half miles at Goodwood.

[18] On his next start, Noble Mission stepped down in distance for the 10-furlong Rose of Lancaster Stakes at Haydock Park, where the odds-on favourite was the three-year-old Telescope.

[20] Noble Mission was ridden for the first time by James Doyle, who had become the retained rider for Khalid Abdullah since the horses previous run in the Rose of Lancaster.

The race was won by Cirrus des Aigles, who beat Mandour by one-and-three-quarter lengths, with Petit Chevalier third and Noble Mission fourth.

[20] As in 2013, Noble Mission's 2014 seasonal debut came in the John Porter Stakes on 12 April, where he finished in second place, a neck behind winner Cubanita.

[28] On 18 October, Noble Mission started the 7/1 fourth choice in the betting for the Champion Stakes, the race in which Frankel had concluded his unbeaten career in 2012.

His eight rivals included Cirrus des Aigles (the 7/4 favourite), Ruler of the World, the six-year-old Al Kazeem, and the lightly raced but highly regarded Irish colt Free Eagle.

Racing on heavy ground, Noble Mission was sent into the lead by Doyle from the start and set the pace from Al Kazeem, with Ruler of the World and Cirrus des Aigles close behind.

[30] On 2 November it was announced that Noble Mission would retire from racing and begin his career as a breeding stallion at Lane's End Farm in Versailles, Kentucky.