Darley shuttler Iffraaj edged closer to the European first-season sires’ winner record when Weapon Of Choice was a dominant winner second time out Goodwood on Sunday.  The colt increased his sire’s individual winner tally to 32.  

Iffraaj (Zafonic) is based at Darley’s Kildangan Stud and shuttles to Haunui Farm in New Zealand.  Former Chatswood Stud shuttler Invincible Spirit set the European record in 2006 with 35 individual winners.

Weapon Of Choice (2c Iffraaj   — Tullawadgeen by Sinndar) won the Blue Square Bet EBF Stakes (1000m) by more than three lengths under leading apprentice Martin Lane.  “He’s a very nice, big horse and he did that easily,” Lane said.  “He will give the owners a lot of fun next year.”

Weapon Of Choice started an odds-on favourite after an impressive debut behind the useful Vanguard Dream (Oasis Dream) at Goodwood on September 11.  He is owned by Trillium Place Racing and was a 29,000 euros buy at the 2009 Tattersalls September yearling sale.

His dam is a winning half-sister to French 1000 Guineas winner Tie Black (Machiavellian).  Second dam Tender Is Thenight (Barathea) is a half-sister to champion racehorse and sire last Tycoon.

Iffraaj sired his first Group 1 winner when Wootton Bassett was successful in the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere (1400m) at Longchamp on October 3.  It boosted his unbeaten record to five from five with earnings of 591,230 euros (AUD 837,596).

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 was booked out well before starting his third southern book at Haunui Farm last month.