Derrinstown Stud has announced the retirement of their stalwart Intikhab from stud duties with immediate effect.

A son of Red Ransom out of a Crafty Prospector mare, Intikhab was bred in the USA and bought for $300,000 at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale.

Trained initially by David Morley, Intikhab won two of his three starts as a juvenile and showed steady, if not spectacular progress at three, finishing runner-up on three occasions before finally getting his head in front at Doncaster and completing a Listed double at Epsom and Newmarket.

At four, Intikhab raced in the famous blue Godolphin colours, beginning his campaign at Nad Al Sheba with a fluent victory over nine furlongs, before running out of stamina when competing over an extra furlong at the same venue.

Back in England for the Group 3 Diomed Stakes at Epsom’s Derby meeting over an extended mile, Intikhab gave a glimpse of what was to come when brushing aside his field by five lengths.

Royal Ascot was the next stop, and the task that faced him in the Queen Anne Stakes was by far his stiffest to date. The opposition included the Group 1 Sussex Stakes winner Among Men and the Group 1 Lockinge Stakes winner Cape Cross, but Intikhab proved more than a match for his field, stretching right away in the closing stages to win easily by eight lengths. It was a stunning performance which earned him a Timeform rating of 135 and the title of World Champion Miler.

Intikhab had shown both class and durability on the racecourse, winning eight of his fourteen starts and finishing second on five other occasions, and these are the very qualities which he has passed on to his progeny.

To date, he has sired 50 individual Group/Stakes horses, headed by the World Champion Filly Snow Fairy, and the dual Group 1 winner Red Evie, whilst other notable successes have included the Group 1 winning two-year-old Paita; the Group 2 winner Glen’s Diamond and the Group 3 winning, Group 1 placed Toupie and Circus Couture. His progeny have won stakes races from five to 14 furlongs and he has consistently sired over 50% winners to runners per season throughout his long and illustrious career.

In recent years, he has also proved himself a potent broodmare sire, being represented by the Group 1 Breeders' Cup Turf and Group 1 Prix Marcel Boussac winner Found (Galileo ex Red Evie), and the multiple Group 1 winning sprinter Gordon Lord Byron (Byron ex Boa Estrella).

There is no doubt that Intikhab has already left an indelible mark on the breed and it seems highly likely that his influence will be felt for many years to come. As with previous Derrinstown retirees, he will spend his remaining years being looked after on the stud.