Ribchester

IFFRAAJ HAS already produced a sire son who hit the ground running with Wootton Bassett siring the champion Almanzor in his first crop.

Ribchester was not a Group 1 winner at two, unlike his paternal half-brother, but Ribchester’s racing career reached stellar heights and with strong support from breeders at a higher covering fee than Wootton Bassett’s when he started out, all the omens point towards success for Ribchester.

His story is one of rags to riches in a sense with breeder Andrew Thompson finding his dam Mujarah for just 18,000gns in the Shadwell draft at the 2011 Tattersalls December Mares Sale.

Unplaced at two and three, she is a Marju half-sister to the Group 3 Curragh Cup winner Tactic out of Tanaghum, a Listed-placed daughter of Irish 1,000 Guineas winner Mehthaaf, a half-sister to Group 1 Darley July Cup winner and sire Elnadim.

Another half-sister Only Seule is the dam of Group 1 Prix de la Forêt and Prix Maurice de Gheest winner Occupandiste, herself the dam of Grade 1 winner and young sire Mondialiste and second dam of Group 1 Prix du Jockey Club winner and sire Intello.

Mujarah’s third dam is the Group 2 Prix d’Astarte winner Elle Seule, a daughter of blue hen Fall Aspen, and a half-sister to Colorado Dancer, dam of Dubai Millennium, sire of Dubawi.

Iffraaj was chosen as Mujarah’s first mate and the resulting foal was sold for €78,000 at Goffs November Foal Sale to Jamie Railton Bloodstock. Returned to Goffs 11 months later for the Orby Sale, the bay colt was sold through the Irish National Stud for €105,000, bought by Highbank Farm.

Sent into training with Richard Fahey, he finished second on his debut in a 6f maiden at Doncaster before the Group 2 Gimcrack Stakes when second to Ajaya. After that performance he was purchased privately by Godolphin in whose colours he ran for the first time in the Group 2 Mill Reef Stakes, when he broke his maiden in style.

At three he was third to Galileo Gold, but ahead of Air Force Blue, Marcel and Buratino, in the 2,000 Guineas. Dropped down to 7f for the Jersey Stakes (G3) at Royal Ascot, he returned to winning ways.

Then taking on the English, Irish and French 2,000 Guineas winners, as well as older horses including Toormore and Lightning Spear, he finished third in the Group 1 Sussex Stakes, half a length behind The Gurkha and Galileo Gold.

His first Group 1 triumph came in his next race when he beat Vadamos to win the Prix Jacques le Marois at Deauville. He finished off the season with a fine second place to the brilliant Minding in the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Stakes.

The following March he finished third in the 1m1f Group 1 Dubai Turf before returning to England and the winners’ enclosure in the Lockinge Stakes (G1) at Newbury. He added a third Group 1 victory, and second Royal Ascot success, in the Queen Anne Stakes but failed by just a neck to win the Sussex Stakes (G1). The fourth and final Group 1 win of his career came in Longchamp’s Prix du Moulin, while he was thwarted by a filly for the second successive season in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes, this time it was Persuasive who was the filly in front.

Ribchester covered 142 mares at a fee of €30,000 in his first season at Kildangan and was well supported by Godolphin and outside breeders alike. Sir Edmund Loder, Meon Valley Stud, Redpender Stud and Norelands Stud were amongst the renowned breeders who supported him in that initial season.

A substantial proportion of his foals were offered, almost a third, selling for an average of €58,196, almost double his covering fee.

His most expensive foal sold at Tattersalls was McCracken Farms’ colt out of Jawlaat, an unraced Shamardal half-sister to Group 3 Prix du Cabourg winner Tantheem. From the Al Ishq branch of Allegretta’s dynasty, the March-born colt cost Hubert Honore 145,000gns.

At Goffs four members of Ribchester’s first crop sold for six-figures with the most expensive of the quartet being a colt out of Venus De Medici, a Duke Of Marmalade full-sister to Group 3 winner and Group 1-placed Venus De Milo. Consigned by Stanley Lodge on behalf of Tullpark Limited, he was bought for €150,000 by WH Bloodstock.

The most expensive filly foal by Ribchester was Ballinacurra Stud’s half-sister to 2019’s Princess Margaret and Albany Stakes third Aroha, who was bought by Denis Brosnan’s Epona Bloodstock for €140,000.

Racing Form

16 runs, six wins, eight places | Best Timeform Rating: 129 | Average winning distance: 7.51f

Stakes form

AT 2 Won Dubai Duty Free Mill Reef Stakes, Newbury, Gr.2, (6f. beating Log Out Island (IRE) and Raucous (GB)), second in Irish TB Marketing Gimcrack Stakes, York, Gr.2, (to Ajaya (GB)).

AT 3 Jt Champion 3yr old miler in Europe in 2016. Won P. Fresnay le Buffard Jacques Le Marois, Deauville, Gr.1, (8f. beating Vadamos (FR) and Ervedya (FR)), Jersey Stakes, Ascot, Gr.3, (7f. beating Thikriyaat (IRE) and Forge (GB)), second in Qipco Queen Elizabeth II Stakes, Ascot, Gr.1, (to Minding (IRE)), third in Qatar Sussex Stakes, Goodwood, Gr.1, (to The Gurkha (IRE)), Qipco 2000 Guineas Stakes, Newmarket, Gr.1, (to Galileo Gold (GB)).

AT 4 Champion older miler in Europe in 2017. Won Al Shaqab Lockinge Stakes, Newbury, Gr.1, (8f. beating Lightning Spear (GB) and Breton Rock (IRE)), Qatar Prix du Moulin de Longchamp, Chantilly, Gr.1, (8f. beating Taareef (USA) and Massaat (IRE)), Queen Anne Stakes, Ascot, Gr.1, (8f. beating Mutakayyef (GB) and Deauville (IRE)), second in Qatar Sussex Stakes, Goodwood, Gr.1, (to Here Comes When (IRE)), Qipco Queen Elizabeth II Stakes, Ascot, Gr.1, (to Persuasive (IRE)), third in DP World Dubai Turf, Meydan, Gr.1, (to Vivlos (JPN)).