ARAAFA (IRE)

3 b c Mull Of Kintyre - Resurgence (Polar Falcon)

Owner: Saleh Al Homaizi and Imad Al Sagar
Trainer: Jeremy Noseda
Breeder: Sweetmans Bloodstock

There was inevitably disappointment at Coolmore that George Washington was unable to add to his Newmarket 2000 Guineas triumph in the Curragh equivalent on Sunday, 27 May, when - his speed seemingly blunted by heavy ground - he could finish only second in Ireland's first Classic of 2006.

Yet the result was not all bad news for the Co Tipperary breeding goliath, as the winner, Araafa, provided a Classic success from his very first crop for Coolmore's bargain stallion Mull Of Kintyre, who stands for just 5,000 euros.

Furthermore, Coolmore stallions, who accounted for eight of the 11 Irish 2000 Guineas runners, provided a 1-2-3 in the Classic with George Washington, by Danehill, finishing just ahead of Danehill Dancer's son Decado for the minor honours.

Profitable pinhooking

Araafa himself was picked up for 48,000gns at Tattersalls' December Foal Sale in 2003 when consigned from Joe Hernon's Co Cork-based Castletown Stud. Paul Shanahan, John Magnier's right-hand man and a highly successful pinhooker in his own right, bought the youngster and turned over a handsome profit when reconsigning his purchase to Tattersalls' October Yearling Sale ten months later.

Surrey-based agent Tony Nerses, representing his principal clients Saleh Al Homaizi and Imad Al Sagar, signed the buyer's ticket this time around at 150,000gns and Araafa is now worth considerably more as a stallion prospect. His pedigree page already boasts one notably successful sire as his dam, Resurgence, a Cheveley Park Stud home-bred, is a full-sister to Pivotal.

Resurgence, who was in training in Newmarket with Michael Bell, never saw a racecourse and was sold as a two-year-old at Tattersalls' 2000 December Sale to Castletown Stud for what now looks a decidedly modest 31,000gns.

Soccer links

Her first foal, Ragged Glory, who was placed in a maiden for Richard Hannon, has gone on to win in Serbia and Montenegro, while Araafa's year younger sibling, by Orpen, could provide an exciting first venture into racehorse ownership for Manchester City player Joey Barton.

The colt, named Blue Monkey and also trained by Michael Bell, was sold for 60,000gns at Tattersalls last year and Resurgence's Danehill Dancer yearling is set to reappear at the Newmarket sales house in October having been bought by agent Richard Frisby as a foal for 100,000gns.

Araafa's success is just the kind of result Mull Of Kintyre needs to promote his stud career. A $1 million yearling by the outstanding sire of sires Danzig, Mull Of Kintyre won the Gimcrack Stakes at York in 1999 before heading out to Gulfstream in Florida where he was not disgraced when finishing fourth to Anees in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile.

An injury meant he did not race as a three-year-old and the following season, although second in a Curragh Group Three and fourth on heavy ground in Haydock's Group One Sprint Cup, he failed to add another victory to his record.