Timeform made him their top speed horse of 2006 and, while talent and good looks are not always enough to secure a horse a berth at stud, Iffraaj also has impeccable pedigree credentials to back up his physical attributes. His dam Pastorale is, like leading European sire Cape Cross, out of Park Appeal, stemming from a family that includes Diktat and Layman.
In his first year at Kildangan Stud, Iffraaj’s book included 40 mares who were either Stakes winners themselves or had produced Stakes winners. Those foals are now at the yearling sales and, from eight sold at the first major sale in Britain and Ireland, Doncaster’s St Leger Sale, Iffraaj secured an average of £24,562 from a first-season fee of €12,000.
The end of September sees the start of the Goffs Orby sale (29 September to 1 October), which has 14 sons or daughters of Iffraaj scheduled to go under the hammer. Just 43 lots into the sale is a daughter of juvenile winner Sheer Bliss, who is a sister in blood to the 1999 Derby winner Oath and a half-sister to treble Group One winner and champion two-year-old Pelder.
Six-time winner and Group-placed Dance Clear has already produced two winners and the daughter of Marju has an Iffraaj colt selling as lot 200 at Goffs from the Broguestown Stud consignment. Lot 298 is a filly from the black type mare Jumilla, dam of Listed winner Jonquil and multiple flat winner turned successful hurdler Desert Quest. Jumilla’s full-brother is the German champion two-year-old Winter Quarters.
Night Club, a half-sister to 2007 broodmare of the year and Poule d’Essai des Pouliches winner Danseuse Du Soir, was sent to Iffraaj in her second season at stud and has a chestnut colt being offered as lot 386. Three lots later comes another Iffraaj colt, this time the first foal of Nilassiba, a winner at two and a daughter of the Listed-placed Nasaieb from the family of Raise A Grand. Late in the sale is a colt from the Irish River mare Irish Lover, who is a half-sister to champion two-year-old filly Flashy Wings.
Just five days after Goffs’ premier sale concludes, Newmarket leaps into action with the start of Book 1 of Tattersalls October Sale (6 to 8 October), which includes eight Iffraaj yearlings. Gift Of Spring has already produced a juvenile winner by Kheleyf, named Vegas Baby and her April-foaled filly by Iffraaj is catalogued as lot 423 from Lodge Park Stud.
Houghton Bloodstock consign an Iffraaj filly, who is the first foal out of multiple winner Hunter’s Fortune, a half-sister to this year’s Albany Stakes winner Habaayib (by Royal Applause). Just a few lots from the end of Book 1 comes a colt out of the Shareef Dancer mare Possessive Artiste, whose Dubai Destination three-year-old Eastern Empire is now a dual winner.
Another 15 Iffraaj youngsters feature in Tattersalls Book 2 (12 to 14 October), including a half-sister to the Coventry Stakes-placed Capable Guest (by Cape Cross), who is lot 929. Later that day, selling as lot 991, comes a half-brother to Hurricane Alan, twice winner of the G2 betfred.com Mile at Sandown.
Coolrain Lady has already bred the Listed-winning fillies Bella Tusa and La Vita E Bella and their Iffraaj half-sister is consigned by Tally-Ho Stud as lot 1053, while five lots later a daughter of Craigmill, who has produced nine winners from 10 runners, is set to pass through the ring as part of Whatton Manor Stud’s consignment.
Three Stakes-winning mares have Iffraaj yearlings in Book 2, the first to be offered being a colt out of G3 Prix de Royaumont winner Spanish Falls (lot 792), who has already bred a winner by Iffraaj’s sire Zafonic. Towards the end of the sale sees a daughter of Listed winner Play Around (lot 1470), whose winning offspring include the Listed-placed Priere, while Scandinavia’s former champion two-year-old filly Pretty Girl is represented by an Iffraaj colt (lot 1479), who is a half-brother to two juvenile winners.
The two-day Book 3 auction (15 and 16 October) rounds off Tattersalls’ October sale and includes a further three colts and three fillies by Iffraaj. Among these are a son of the Poule d’Essai des Pouliches-placed mare Gharam (lot 1912) and a filly from the Listed winner Splendid Idea (lot 1536), who has bred four winners from her first five foals.
