Western Empire found his best form and showed his remarkable versatility on Sunday, 5 May when he blitzed a strong field of sprinters in the G3 Northam Stakes over 1,300m in West Australia.
Having only his second start since being sold and returning from Victoria to co-trainers Grant and Alana Williams at Karnup, Western Empire (William Pike) came from midfield at the home turn and won running away by 2.4 lengths from Mood Swings with Red Can Man just over half a length away in third place.
The son of Darley shuttle stallion Iffraaj stopped the clock on 1 minute 15.33 seconds, recording his eighth win with six placings from 22 starts.
Out of the 2011 Perth Cup (2,400m) winner Western Jewel (Jeune), who has also produced Stakes winner Western Temple.
Western Empire was bred and raced by well-known Perth businessman Bob Peters.
After heading east for an unsuccessful seven-start campaign in Melbourne, the 2021 G1 Railway Stakes (1,600m) and G2 West Australian Derby (2,400m) winner was sold through the 2023 Inglis October Online Sale to Yevrah Investments for $150,000.
The six-year-old has won seven Stakes races and lifted his prize money and bonuses swag to $1,654,950.
Iffraaj won seven races on the track and is currently in seventh position on the prize-money list for all stallions in New Zealand.
His three-year-old daughter Grail Seeker recently won the Group 2 Wellington Guineas (1,400m) at Trentham and the stallion has now sired 1180 winners of 3409 races worldwide – including 98 individual Stakes-race winners of 179 Black-Type events.
Iffraaj currently stands at Dalham Hall Stud at Newmarket, England for a service fee of 10,000 pounds.
WESTERN EMPIRE (#Iffraaj / Western Jewel)
— Williams Racing WA (@williamsracing6) May 5, 2024
G3 Tabtouch Northam Stakes@northamracing
J: William Pike pic.twitter.com/dP8YkGhONp
