First-season sire sensation Iffraaj was represented by his first Group 1 winner when Wootton Bassett scored a dominant victory in the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere (1400m) at Longchamp on Sunday.  Iffraaj (Zafonic) is based at Darley’s Kildangan Stud and shuttles to Haunui Farm in New Zealand.   

Wootton Bassett (2c  Iffraaj – Balladonia by Primo Dominie) would have earned black-type before Arc day, however, connections were only too happy to pick up the riches on offer in Britain’s major sales races.

The Richard Fahey trained colt won the DBS Premier Yearling Stakes at York in August and the Weatherbys Insurance 2YO Stakes on September 9.  The Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere victory boosted his unbeaten record to five from five and 591,230 euros (AUD 837,596).

Managing owner Frank Brady resisted the temptation of more gold in Redcar’s valuable Listed 2YO Trophy on Saturday to run at Longchamp 24 hours later.  He never had a moment to regret that choice as Wootton Bassett travelled sweetly in front before putting his rivals to the sword in the final furlong.

“He is by far the best two-year-old I have ever trained,” Fahey said . “I have had this race at the back of my mind for a long time, but before that I took the liberty of running in Sales races so we can be pretty happy with how the season has panned out.  We will put him away now and I think he’ll stay a mile next year.”

Iffraaj was a Group 2 winner of the Lennox Stakes at Goodwood and Park Stakes at York.  He is from a half-sister to Cape Cross and his third book at Haunui Farm was fully subscribed well before the start of the breeding season.

He has sired 31 individual juvenile winners in Europe so far this year and is closing in on Invincible Spirit’s record of 35 winners set in 2006.