Photo: Supplied
Quality European galloper Alflaila has been secured for stud duties by White Robe Lodge, introducing one of the world’s great sire-lines to New Zealand through his champion sire Dark Angel.
Bred and raced by the famed Shadwell operation, Alflaila’s racing career is defined by resilience, consistency, and elite-level talent, as evidenced by back-to-back victories in the fiercely competitive Gr.2 York Stakes (2100m), a race that has tested some of Europe’s best middle-distance horses.
A winner on debut as an early two-year-old over 1200m, Alflaila would train-on to showcase his class over the ensuing three seasons for trainer Owen Burrows.
In six starts at three, Alflaila won on four occasions, commencing his Classic season with a victory at Ascot over 1400m before landing the Listed Pomfret Stakes (1600m), the Gr.3 Strensall Stakes (1750m) at York and the Gr.3 Darley Stakes (1800m) at Newmarket.
On resumption at four, Alflaila swept past Group One performer My Prospero to land the York Stakes and produced a big run from last to finish fifth behind Auguste Rodin in the Gr.1 Irish Champion Stakes (2000m) in a field that featured high-class gallopers Luxembourg, Nashwa and King Of Steel.
He returned as a five-year-old to defend his York Stakes title and was also a fast-finishing fourth in the Gr.1 Prince of Wales’s Stakes (2000m) at Royal Ascot.
Alflaila’s peak Timeform rating of 125 placed him among the elite performers of his generation.
“He repeatedly proved he belonged at the top-level,” trainer Owen Burrows said.
“He was sharp enough to win over six (furlongs) first-time out as a two-year-old and he showed a briliant turn of foot that day.
“As a three-year-old, he never stopped improving and as we stepped him up in trip to a mile, he was getting better.
“That winter at the end of his three-year-old season he travelled out to Bahrain where he'd probably have started quite a short-price favourite for the Bahrain Trophy (Gr.2, 2000m), but unfortunately, he picked up an injury out there.
“But he was very resilient and came back and won the York Stakes on resumption, a race which he won again last year in tenacious fashion.
“It was a very big run in both the Irish Champion Stakes and again last year to finish fourth in the Prince of Wales’s Stakes, where he had his ground slightly taken and he was right on the heels of some proper top-class horses.
“He is a very athletic horse who was tough as well. He came back from a few little setbacks that plenty wouldn’t have, but he did really want it.
“I think breeders will be impressed. He is very attractive and is all in proportion, moves well and has a good athletic build on him.
“I have trained a few by Dark Angel and he is quite typical in terms of build and looks. He was champion stallion in Britain and Ireland last year and he has been quite a phenomenon.”
Dark Angel is one of Europe’s most sought-after stallions, with 17 individual Group One winners including the likes of Harry Angel, Battaash and Charyn.
Harry Angel has taken the Southern Hemisphere by storm, with star performers like Tom Kitten, Private Harry, Angel Capital and Stretan Angel propelling him into the top tier of Australia’s general sires’ standings, an incredible achievement for a stallion with only three crops racing.
Alflaila is out of the Stakes placed Oasis Dream mare Adhwaa, who in turn is a daughter of the Stakes winning Darshaan mare Hammiya, also the dam of Listed winner Shaqira.
Third dam is the stakes winning Fairy King mare Albacora, herself a half-sister to Group Three winner and Gr.1 Poule d’Essai des Pouliches (1600m) runner-up Pont-Aven.
“Marcus Corban has been pivotal in helping us land Alflaila,” said Jack Stewart of White Robe Lodge.
“He’s a great family friend but also one of the great minds of our industry and he facilitated David Redvers inspecting the horse on our behalf.
“He provided a glowing review, describing Alflaila as a very attractive, classy individual with a great action and very good confirmation standing at around 16hh.
“As soon as I showed my grandad (Brian ‘BJ’ Anderton) his race performance, pedigree and photos he simply said, “get it done”.
“BJ stood his first stallion at 18 years old and now, just recently turned 88, will be in his 70th year of owning and standing stallions which is phenomenal and speaks volumes of where his judgement has got him over the decades.
“Alflaila embodies what modern breeders seek - raw power, proven speed, an elite pedigree, and a stunning physical type. Being a debut winner as an early two-year-old was key for us in today’s market and also that he trained on to win at Group level at three, four and five across distances ranging from 1200-2100m.
“Shadwell Stud have elected to retain a breeding interest in Alflaila and we are buoyed by the fact Zabeel and Per Incanto are graduates of their successful racing and breeding program who have gone on to have a huge impact at stud in New Zealand.
“We couldn't be more excited to bring Alflaila to White Robe Lodge.”
Alflaila will stand at an introductory fee of $7,000+GST, with a limited number of lifetime breeding rights available, presenting a unique opportunity to breeders to share in the stallion’s future success.
