Haunui Farm shuttler Iffraaj struck twice within hours when supplying winners at Nottingham and Ripon on Wednesday. Iffraaj (Zafonic) shuttles to New Zealand from Darley’s Irish base at Kildangan Stud.
Nottingham winner Forjatt was making his debut for Michael Jarvis in the colours of Sheikh Ahmed al Maktoum. He was a 60,000gns buy as a yearling and showed a willing attitude under Frankie Dettori to repel Gold Pearl (Henny Hughes) by a head.
Forjatt (2c Iffraaj — Graceful Air by Danzero) is from a winning half-sister to Mystical Land (Xaar). He was raced by Sheikh Mohammed and, as a 2YO in 2004, was Group 2 placed in the July Stakes, Richmond Stakes and Mill Reef Stakes.
Waltz Darling (2c Iffraaj — Aljafliyah by Halling) was also facing the starter for the first time several hours later at Ripon. He tracked the leaders before ranging up to score by 1.5 lengths over 1200m. The winner is trained by Richard Fahey and cost 50,000gns as a yearling. He is from a half-sister to Sohgol (Singspiel) who won at Doncaster before transferring to California where she was a Group placed at Hollywood Park and Santa Anita.
Iffraaf has now sired four winners from his first northern hemisphere crop. Nasharra opened his account at Leicester on May 17 and Idiom was next cab off the rank at Newcastle on May 27.
Iffraaj was a G2 winner of the Lennox Stakes at Goodwood and Park Stakes at York. He was also beaten a head when runner-up to Les Arcs in the G1 July Cup at Newmarket.
The Haunui shuttler represents the Danzig dynasty through Danehill’s ill-fated son Mozart who was a G1 winner of the July Cup and Nunthorpe Stakes. Mozart only stood one season at stud in 2002 but sired 57 winners at a 66% strike-rate. His stakes winners to winners ratio was a remarkable 14%.
Iffraaf owns a world class pedigree through his dam Pastorale who is a half-sister to Cape Cross, sire of Sea The Stars and Ouija Board, out of the champion juvenile Park Appeal. He will stand his third southern season at Haunui Farm in 2010 at a $10,000 (+ gst) service fee.