‘Europe’s Champion Miler twice, and four-time Group 1 winner who broke the track record in the Gr1 Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot’ announces Darley with Ribchester being their Kelvinside freshman sire for 2018.
Ribchester was rated ‘Equal Leading 3YO Male on the 2016 WTR for a Mile, Champion 3YO Miler in France in 2016 and Joint Champion 3YO Miler in Europe and Great Britain in 2016’ in winning the Gr1 Prix Jacques Le Marois 1600m and the Gr3 Jersey Stakes 7f at Royal Ascot.
Also, at three years Ribchester was placed second in the Gr1 Queen Elizabeth II Stakes and third in the Gr1 2000 Guineas and Gr1 Sussex Stakes.
As ‘Champion Older Male Miler in Europe, France and Great Britain in 2017’ Ribchester won the Gr1 Queen Anne Stakes of 1mile in a record 1:36.60min, the Gr1 Prix de Moulin de Longchamp 1600m and the 1mile Gr1 Lockinge Stakes.
Ribchester was placed second again in the Gr1 Queen Elizabeth II Stakes, the Gr1 Sussex Stakes and third in the Gr1 Dubai Turf at four years.
As a two-year-old Ribchester won the Gr2 Mill Reef Stakes over 6 furlongs and was placed second twice including the Gr2 Gimcrack Stakes in all his three starts.
Ribchester, a bay at 16.0½hh, is the best of his exceptional sire Iffraaj, winner of the Doncaster Park Stakes twice and Goodwood Lexus Stakes. A son of the Gone West sire Zafonic, Ribchester is a member of the highly influential Mr Prospector-Raise A Native sire line and cross bred 3×4 to Nureyev.
Iffraaj is now the sire of some 60 stakes winners and over $57 million in earnings in both Australasia and Europe including the NZ Sprinting & Middle-Distance Champion in Turn Me Loose, NZ Derby and Rosehill Guineas winner Gingernuts, Champion Irish and European 3YO fillies in Rizeena and Chriselliam, Australian Derby winner Jon Snow, Al Quoz Sprint winner Jungle Cat and Wotton Bassett, the Champion French 2YO Colt.
Rated the best of his female family since Dubawi’s sire, Dubai Millennium, Ribchester is from the unplaced Marju mare Mujarah, the half-sister to Curragh Cup winner Tactics, stakes winner Yaazy and stakes placed winner Zahoo, the dam of Gr3 winner Convergence.
This is the immediate family of English Champion 3YO Filly in Mehthaaf, her daughter the Champion Italian 3YO Najah, Champion European Older Sprinter Elnadim and Occupandiste, the Group 1 producing French Champion Older Mare.
Also, at Darley Kelvinside this season the Golden Rose winner Astern and Territories, the Prix Jean Prat miler, will have their first foals on the ground. Duel Group 1 winner Kermadec and Exosphere, the Golden Rose winner, both had their first weanlings sell up to $75,000 at auction this year.
Group 1 winning 3YOs Shooting To Win and Hallowed Crown will be have their first 2YOs in 2018-19, with their first crop yearlings selling up to $340,000 and $240,000 respectively.
The Classic and multiple Group 1 winning Dawn Approach had his first Australian bred 2YOs racing in 2017-18, with his second crop yearlings selling up to $450,000. Musis Amica, the Group 3 winning Gr1 French Oaks second placegetter heads his four stakes winners, with stakes winner Mary Tudor being third in Gr1 Irish Oaks.
In South Africa the 2YO winner Alyaasaat was second in the Gr1 Premiers Champion Stakes and Gong being a Gr2 Sliver Slipper Stakes placed winner in Australia.
Epaulette had an excellent start to his career with 47 winners in both hemispheres with Soqrat winning the Gr1 Premiers Champion Stakes in South Africa, and Khulaasa and Meryl being Group 3 winners in Australia. Albrecht also had his first runners in 2017-18 with Sanglier being a winning duel stakes placegetter.
Champion sire Lohnro had Kementari winning the Gr1 Rosehill Guineas, Impending the Gr1 Kingsford-Smith Cup and the Group 2 winner Banish. In America War Heroine won the Gr2 San Clemente Stakes and Isotherm the Gr2 San Marcos Stakes, with Cardsharp the Gr2 July Stakes and third in Gr1 Middle Park Stakes in Britain last year.
The exceptional juvenile sire Exceed and Excel was successful with Mr Stunning winning the Gr1 Hong Kong Sprint plus two Group 2 events this year. Heavy Metal was duel Group 2 winner in Dubai and in Australia both Performer and Jorda were Group 3 winners.
The Golden Rose winner Denman had his select yearlings top $100,000 in 2018, with Deja Blue, Secret Trial and Pinch River being stakes winners, plus 8 stakes placegetters. Angaston, Sister Sunday and East Rand were stakes placed winners in America.
By Bernard Kenny