The highly-promising Ayrton produced a performance that stamped him as a potential star for his sire Iffraaj when he won the G3 Gunsynd Classic at Eagle Farm in Brisbane on Saturday, 12 June.
Given a cosy ride, Ayrton travelled comfortably just off the pace and responded brilliantly when called on by jockey James McDonald called with 250m to run to win running away by 2-3/4 lengths from Ellsberg.
Ayrton had won his first three starts, all in Melbourne, only to be beaten at his first Queensland run two weeks ago, but he put that aberration behind him in style at his latest outing.
Trained by the Melbourne-based partnership of Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr, Ayrton is likely to reappear for the spring feature events.
Bred by G J McCarthy, Ayrton is the best performer out of a Falkirk half-sister to G3-winning miler Monterey Bay. They are out of Sabbatical, a Stakes-winning daughter of G3 Debutante Stakes winner Secunda.
The NZ-bred three-year-old becomes Iffraaj’s 79th Stakes winner, joining a list that includes G1 winners Jon Snow and Gingernuts. They were produced during his service at Haunui Farm where he has been replaced by his best son, the champion UK miler Ribchester.
Iffraaj is now the sire of 15 Stakes performers in 2021, including five Group winners led by G2 Western Australian Derby hero Western Empire and G2 Al Fahidi Fort Stakes victor Land Of Legends.
