TRIPLE seven-furlong Group 2 scorer Iffraaj (by Zafonic) came within a head of winning the Group 1 July Cup, and his long-term popularity at stud looked all but guaranteed following a record-breaking freshman season when his huge tally of winners included the Group 1 star Wootton Bassett.
Since then he has added four more Group 1 winners, including the ill-fated juvenile champion Chriselliam and the recently-retired Rizeena, and his Group 2 scorers include the Group 1-placed sprinter Hot Streak and the dual classic-placed New Zealand filly Fix.
Last Saturday his son Ribchester, a €105,000 Goffs Orby Sale graduate, won the Group 2 Dubai Duty Free Mill Reef Stakes at Newbury. It was a first win in three starts for the big-race favourite and it came a month after he chased home Ajaya in the Group 2 Gimcrack Stakes at York.
The Richard Fahey-trained colt, a recent acquisition by Godolphin, holds an entry in next year’s Group 1 Tattersalls Irish 2000 Guineas, and although further improvement is required to succeed at the highest level, he has pedigree credentials that could see him rise to the top.
Ribchester was bred by Andrew Thompson and Mike O’Brien, he is the first foal out of Mujarah (by Marju), and his Arcano (by Oasis Dream) half-brother is catalogued as Lot 1109 in Book 2 of next month’s Tattersalls October Yearling Sale.
Mujarah was unplaced but her dam Tanaghum (by Darshaan) was runner-up in the Listed Harvest Stakes at Ascot, and her six winning siblings include the Group 3 Curragh Cup scorer Tactic (by Sadler’s Wells).
Their half-sister Yaazy (by Teofilo) finished third in the Group 2 Prix de Mallaret in June, was runner-up to Candarliya in the Group 3 Prix Minerve, and then won a listed contest at Saint-Cloud two weeks ago, all over 12 furlongs.
convergence
Andrew Mujarah is also a half-sister to Zahoo (by Nayef), a 12-furlong winner who was runner-up in a listed contest over 10 and a half furlongs at Doncaster, and that mare’s first foal is Convergence (by Cape Cross).
The Ger Lyons-trained three-year-old has won four times, including the Group 3 Ballycorus Stakes at Leopardstown and listed contests at Tipperary and Dundalk, and he was only beaten a length when third to Cougar Mountain in the Group 3 Desmond Stakes.
Tanaghum, the grandam of Ribchester, is a half-sister to the Group 2 Premio Lydia Tesio winner Najah (by Nashwan) and she is a daughter of Mehthaaf (by Nureyev), the Group 1 Irish 1000 Guineas and Group 2 Celebration Mile heroine of 1994.
Fall aspen
As many will recognise, this is one of the most famous families in the stud book as Mehthaaf is out of Elle Seule (by Exclusive Native), one of the many notable offspring of the Grade 1 Matron Stakes scorer Fall Aspen (by Pretense).
Mehthaaf’s half-brother Elnadim (by Danzig), who died earlier in the year, was the Group 1 July Cup winner of 1998, and the sprint champion had a long and successful career at Derrinstown Stud.
Their sisters Khulood (by Storm Cat) and Ashraakat (by Danzig) were also blacktype scorers, but maiden winner Only Seule (by Lyphard) was more notable at stud.
Her daughter Occupandiste (by Kaldoun) was a champion in France where she won the Group 1 Prix de la Foret and the Group 1 Prix Maurice de Gheest, and two week ago that mare’s son Mondialiste (by Galileo) won the Grade 1 Woodbine Mile Stakes in Canada, a second pattern success in under a month for the David O’Meara-trained five-year-old.
His full-brother Planetaire was a pattern-placed stakes winner in France last year, and his two pattern winning half-sisters include the dual five-furlong Group 3 scorer Only Answer (by Green Desert).
The other sister is Impressionnante (by Danehill) who won the Group 2 Prix de Sandringham several weeks after finishing third past the post in the Group 1 Poule d’Essai des Pouliches (French 1000 Guineas).
Price Tag’s disqualification saw Impressionnante moved up to second place in the classic, and she also got the runner-up spot when beaten half a length by Mandesha in the Group 1 Prix d’Astarte at Deauville.
Impressionnante’s second foal is the Group 1 Prix du Jockey-Club (French Derby) winner, Arc third and Cheveley Park Stud stallion Intello (by Galileo), whose first foals will be on offer later in the year.
PERFORMANCES
Elle Seule, the fourth dam of Ribchester, won the Group 2 Prix d’Astarte and was runner-up in the Group 2 Prix de l’Opera, among other performances of note, and her brothers included the Group/Grade 1 scorers Timber Country (by Woodman), Hamas (by Danzig), and Fort Wood (by Sadler’s Wells), as well as the Group 2 winner Bianconi (by Danzig).
Each of that quartet enjoyed some success at stud, with the South African-based Fort Wood the standout among them.
Her half-sister Dance Of Leaves (by Sadler’s Wells) gave us the Group 1 Racing Post Trophy winner Medaaly (by Highest Honor) and the multiple Group 1-placed Group 2 scorer Charnwood Forest (by Warning), also successful stallions, and her sisters also include Sheroog (by Shareef Dancer).
That one-time winner is the dam of the Group 1 Champion Stakes third and dual Group 2 scorer Kabool (by Groom Dancer), she is the grandam of the South African Group 1 star Europa Point (by Rock Of Gibraltar), and also of Harbour Watch (by Acclamation), the Group 2 Richmond Stakes scorer and Tweenhills Farm & Stud stallion whose first foals made up to €240,000 last year.
Of course, Elle Seule is also a half-sister to the Group 2 Prix de Pomone winner Colorado Dancer (by Shareef Dancer), dam of the Timeform 140-rated Dubai Millennium (by Seeking The Gold), the champion whose only crop gave us the Group 1 star and phenomenal stallion Dubawi.
Right now, Ribchester is only a thrice-raced juvenile Group 2 scorer, but he is a colt who has the potential to stay a mile, to become a Group 1 contender, and who may have a stallion career in his future.