Iffraaj has been enjoying a superb 2017 in both hemispheres and on Friday, 29 September, he recorded a Stakes-winning double as his Derby-winning son Jon Snow added another Group win to his at Moonee Valley in Melbourne, just before Muffri'Ha took the Listed Rosemary Stakes at Newmarket.
Making his third start of the current season, Jon Snow showed he had returned to his best form, racing outside the leader from the start and saw out the ten furlongs strongly to score by a length from Ecuador.
Jon Snow burst to prominence last Autumn when he won Australia’s premier classic, the G1 ATC Derby at Randwick, having already landed the G2 Tulloch Stakes at Rosehill. Co-trainer Murray Baker confirmed Jon Snow’s Spring mission would be the G1 Caulfield Cup on Saturday, 21 October with a possible lead up in the G1 Caulfield Stakes a week earlier.
His win today followed the recent success of fellow New Zealander and another son of Iffraaj, Gingernuts, who won the G1 Windsor Park Plate at Hastings, NZ, on Saturday, 23 September. After winning the G1 New Zealand Derby in the Autumn, Gingernuts crossed the Tasman to win the G1 Rosehill Guineas in Sydney.
Jon Snow, who was bred by Richard Moore, is one of eight G1 winners for Iffraaj. He is out of the winning O’Reilly mare Orinda, a half-sister to Group winner Ubiquitous.
Later on Friday, Iffraaj's five-year-old daughter Muffri'Ha added a third victory at Stakes level to her record with a convincing win in the Listed Rosemary Stakes, run over a mile at Newmarket.
Settled in third position under Pat Cosgrave, the William Haggas-trained mare began to make headway two furlongs from home and found plenty inside the final furlong to win by a length.
Muffri'Ha, who won the G3 Darley Stakes at the same racecourse last year, was third in the G1 Jebel Hatta at Meydan back in March. A return to G1 company and a swift return to racing is now on the cards, with next weekend's G1 Sun Chariot Stakes cited as a possible target.
Muffri'Ha was bred by Lodge Park Stud and is out of the Group-winning Dansili mare Grecian Dancer. They are from the family of Hong Kong Champion and G1 winner Mensa.
