Araafa

Araafa
Araafa
Sire	Mull of Kintyre
Grandsire	Danzig
Dam	Resurgence
Damsire	Polar Falcon
Sex	Stallion
Foaled	8 April 2003
Country	Ireland
Colour	Bay
Breeder	Sweetmans Bloodstock
Owner	Saleh Al Homaizi & Imad Al Sagar
Trainer	Jeremy Noseda
Record	10: 3-2-1
Earnings	£392,500
Major wins
	Irish 2,000 Guineas (2006); St James's Palace Stakes (2006)
Awards
	Top-rated British three-year-old colt (2006)

Araafa (8 April 2003 – 15 June 2012) was an Irish-bred, British-trained

2000 Guineas before reversing the form to win the Irish 2,000 Guineas. He followed up with a win in the St James's Palace Stakes and later finished second to George Washington in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes

. He was then retired to stud but was not a success as a breeding stallion. He died in 2012 at the age of nine.

Background

Araafa was a dark-coated bay horse with a large white

sock on his left hind foot bred in Ireland by Sweetmans Bloodstock. He was from the first crop of foals sired by Mull of Kintyre, whose biggest win came in the 1999 running of the Gimcrack Stakes. Mull of Kintyre's also sired Mull of Killough who won two editions of the Earl of Sefton Stakes, but he was not considered a success as a breeding stallion and was exported to India.^[2] Araafa's dam Resurgence was a full-sister to the leading sprinter and sire Pivotal.^[3]

As a foal, Araafa was consigned by the Castletown Stud to the Tattersalls sale in November 2003 and was bought for 48,000 guineas by the bloodstock agent Paul Shanahan.^[4] The colt returned to Tattersalls in October 2004 and was sold for 150,000 guineas to Tony Nerses,^[5] acting on behalf of Saleh Al Homaizi and Imad Al Sagar. He was sent into training with Jeremy Noseda at Newmarket.

Racing career

2005: two-year-old season

Araafa made his racecourse in a seven

Racing Post Trophy. The colt was stepped up in class again for the Group Three Somerville Tattersall Stakes in September and finished sixth of the nine runners behind Aussie Rules. Araafa produced a better effort on his final appearance of the season, as he finished third to Hurricane Cat in the Group Three Horris Hill Stakes at Newbury Racecourse

on 22 October.

2006: three-year-old season

On his first appearance as a three-year-old, Araafa started a 66/1 outsider for the

2000 Guineas over the Rowley Mile course at Newmarket on 6 May. Ridden for the first time by Alan Munro he stayed on well in the closing stages to finish fourth of the fourteen runners behind George Washington, Sir Percy and Olympian Odyssey. Three weeks later, Araafa was sent to Ireland to contest the Irish 2000 Guineas on soft ground at the Curragh and started the 12/1 fourth choice in the betting behind George Washington (unbeaten in over a year), Decado (winner of the Tetrarch Stakes) and Hurricane Cat. Munro tracked the leaders before sending Araafa into the lead three furlongs from the finish. Araafa opened up a clear lead approaching the final furlong and won by two lengths from George Washington, with Decado a length away in third.^[7] After the race Munro said "he travelled well and took me there easily, the way he travelled and quickened you would have to think the ground suited him well".^[8]

At Royal Ascot on 20 June, Araafa, with Munro again in the saddle, started 2/1 favourite for the Group One St James's Palace Stakes. He was again opposed by Decado as well as two runners from the Aidan O'Brien stable: Ivan Denisovich (July Stakes) and Marcus Andronicus (runner-up to Aussie Rules in the Poule d'Essai des Poulains). His strongest challenger, however, appeared to be the French-trained Stormy River, the winner of the Prix Djebel and the Prix de Fontainebleau. Arrafa raced in second place before taking the lead in the straight and was never seriously challenged, winning by two lengths from Stormy River.^[9] Following the colt's victory, Noseda commented "It was a great performance. He keeps progressing, and his work has improved again since Ireland. I was just a little edgy, hoping he would show that on the race course today, and I think we saw that."^[10]

On 2 August, Araafa was matched against older horses for the first time and started 11/10 favourite for the

John Velazquez, he was made the 11/4 favourite but after reaching third place in the straight he weakened in the final furlong and finished ninth of the fourteen runners behind Miesque's Approval

.

Assessment

In the 2006 World Thoroughbred Racehorse Rankings, Araafa was given a rating of 122, making him the seventeenth best racehorse in the world and the best British-trained three-year-old colt.^[12]

Stud record

Araafa was retired from racing to become a breeding stallion at the Plantation Stud in Newmarket.^[13] He was not a success at stud, with the best of his offspring being Aeolus, who won the Sandy Lane Stakes in 2014.^[14] In 2012 he was transferred to the Woodlands Stud in County Galway. On 15 June 2012 Araafa died from a ruptured blood vessel in his heart shortly after covering a mare.^[15]

Pedigree

Pedigree of Araafa (IRE), bay stallion, 2003^[1]
Sire Mull of Kintyre (USA) 1997	Danzig (USA) 1977	Northern Dancer	Nearctic
		Northern Dancer	Natalma
		Pas de Nom	Admiral's Voyage
		Pas de Nom	Petitioner
	Retrospective (USA) 1992	Easy Goer	Alydar
		Easy Goer	Relaxing
		Hay Patcher	Hoist the Flag
		Hay Patcher	Turn to Talent
Dam Resurgence (GB) 1998	Polar Falcon (USA) 1987	Nureyev	Northern Dancer
		Nureyev	Special
		Marie d'Argonne	Jefferson
		Marie d'Argonne	Mohair
	Fearless Revival (GB) 1987	Cozzene	Caro
		Cozzene	Ride the Trails
		Stufida	Bustino
		Stufida	Zerbinetta (Family: 7)^[3]

References

^ ^a ^b "Araafa pedigree". Equineline. 8 May 2012. Retrieved 9 September 2012.
^ "Mull Of Kintyre – Stud Record". Racing Post.
^ ^a ^b "Blacklegs Royal Mare – Family 7". Thoroughbred Bloodlines.
^ "Tattersalls November sale 2003". Racing Post. Archived from the original on 17 June 2015.
^ "Tattersalls October sale 2004". Racing Post. Archived from the original on 17 June 2015.
^ "Newmarket maiden race result". Racing Post. 29 July 2005.
^ "Irish 2000 Guineas result". Racing Post. 27 May 2006.
^ "Araafa upsets odds for Irish win". BBC Sport.
^ "St James's Palace Stakes result". Racing Post. 20 June 2006.
^ "Queen on Hand as Ascot Ushers in New Era". BloodHorse.com. Associated Press. 20 June 2006.
^ "Queen Elizabeth II Stakes". Racing Post. 23 September 2006.
^ "IFHA 2006 World Thoroughbred Racehorse Rankings". horseracingintfed.com.
^ "Irish Classic Winner Araafa to Stand at Plantation". BloodHorse.com. 25 July 2006.
^ "Araafa – Stud Record". Racing Post.
^ Martin Stevens. "Crack miler Araafa dies after heart rupture". Racing Post. Archived from the original on 17 June 2015.

[equ-1] "Araafa pedigree". Equineline. 8 May 2012. Retrieved 9 September 2012.

[2] "Mull Of Kintyre – Stud Record". Racing Post.

[tbl-3] "Blacklegs Royal Mare – Family 7". Thoroughbred Bloodlines.

[4] "Tattersalls November sale 2003". Racing Post. Archived from the original on 17 June 2015.

[5] "Tattersalls October sale 2004". Racing Post. Archived from the original on 17 June 2015.

[6] "Newmarket maiden race result". Racing Post. 29 July 2005.

[7] "Irish 2000 Guineas result". Racing Post. 27 May 2006.

[8] "Araafa upsets odds for Irish win". BBC Sport.

[9] "St James's Palace Stakes result". Racing Post. 20 June 2006.

[10] "Queen on Hand as Ascot Ushers in New Era". BloodHorse.com. Associated Press. 20 June 2006.

[11] "Queen Elizabeth II Stakes". Racing Post. 23 September 2006.

[12] "IFHA 2006 World Thoroughbred Racehorse Rankings". horseracingintfed.com.

[13] "Irish Classic Winner Araafa to Stand at Plantation". BloodHorse.com. 25 July 2006.

[14] "Araafa – Stud Record". Racing Post.

[15] Martin Stevens. "Crack miler Araafa dies after heart rupture". Racing Post. Archived from the original on 17 June 2015.

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