:Haafhd

{{Infobox racehorse

| horsename = Haafhd

| image_name = Racing silks of Hamdan Al Maktoum.svg

| caption = Racing silks of Hamdan Al Maktoum

| sire = Alhaarth

| grandsire = Unfuwain

| dam = Al Bahathri

| damsire = Blushing Groom

| sex = Stallion

| foaled = {{birth date and age|2001|02|18|df=y}}

| country = Great Britain

| colour = Chestnut

| breeder = Shadwell Stud

| owner = Hamdan Al Maktoum

| trainer = Barry Hills

| record = 9: 5-0-2

| earnings = £492,288

| race = Craven Stakes (2004)
2000 Guineas Stakes (2004)
Champion Stakes (2004)

| awards=

| honours =

|updated= 22 June 2007

}}

Haafhd (foaled 18 February 2001) is a retired British Thoroughbred racehorse and active stallion, best known for winning the 2000 Guineas Stakes and Champion Stakes in 2004.

Background

Haafhd, a bright chestnut horse standing 15 2½ hands high (1.59 m) with a white star, was bred by his owner's Shadwell Stud.{{cite web|url=http://shadwellstud.com/stallions/detailedhorses/item/haafhd|title=Shadwell Stud Ltd – Stallions|website=shadwellstud.com}} Both his parents had been successful racehorses for Hamdan Al Maktoum; his sire is the Dewhurst Stakes winner Alhaarth, whilst his dam Al Bahathri won the Irish 1,000 Guineas.{{cite web|df=dmy-all

|url=https://www.racingpost.com/profile/horse/572724/haafhd |publisher=Racing Post |title=Haafhd pedigree |date=2011-06-02 |access-date=2011-09-05}} He is a half-brother to the Challenge Stakes winner Munir and the Coronation Stakes runner-up Hasbah.[http://www.shadwellstud.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/HAAFHD-extended-pedigree.pdf Haafhd. Extended pedigree] {{Dead link|date=January 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} The colt, whose name is derived from an Arabic word (حامية) meaning "protector" {{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/general/racing-haafhd-way-to-happiness-561974.html |title=Racing: Haafhd way to happiness |work=The Independent |date=2004-05-02 |access-date=2011-09-05|df=dmy-all|location=London |first=Sue |last=Montgomery}} was sent into training with Barry Hills at Lambourn, and was ridden in all his races by Barry's son Richard Hills.

Racing career

=2003: two-year-old season=

Haafhd began his racing career with a win in a maiden race at Newmarket in August 2003, and showed himself to be a colt of Group race potential with an "impressive"{{cite web|url=https://www.racingpost.com/results/36/newbury/2003-08-15/337063 |publisher=Racing Post |title=Washington Singer Stakes |access-date=2011-09-05|df=dmy-all}} five length win in the Listed Washington Singer Stakes two weeks later. He was made odds-on favourite for the Champagne Stakes at Doncaster in September, but could finish only third behind Lucky Story.{{cite web|url=https://www.racingpost.com/results/15/doncaster/2003-09-12/336652 |publisher=Racing Post |title=Champagne Stakes|access-date=2011-09-05|df=dmy-all}} On his final appearance as a juvenile, he finished third in Dewhurst Stakes, behind Milk It Mick, a horse he had already defeated twice, and Three Valleys.{{cite web|title=Dewhurst Stakes|df=dmy-all

|url=https://www.racingpost.com/results/38/newmarket/2003-10-18/337290 |publisher=Racing Post |access-date=2011-09-05}}

In the International Classification of two-year-olds, published in January 2004, Haafhd was allotted a figure of 115, rating him the tenth best colt of the year, six pounds below the Champion Bago.[http://www.tjcis.com/pdf/icsc04/2004Classifications.pdf International classification 2003]

=2004: three-year-old season=

On his three-year-old debut Haafhd ran out a five length winner over Three Valleys in the Craven Stakes,{{cite web|url=https://www.racingpost.com/results/38/newmarket/2004-04-15/348185 |publisher=Racing Post |title=Craven Stakes |access-date=2011-09-05}} confirming himself as a leading contender for the 2000 Guineas Stakes over the same course and distance sixteen days later. The Guardian's correspondent commented that "it is a long time... since a Craven was won in such a decisive fashion".{{cite news|author=Greg Wood at Newmarket |url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2004/apr/16/horseracing.gregwood |title=Trainer hails Haafhd as Craven Stakes win | Sport |work=The Guardian |date= 2004-04-15|access-date=2011-09-05 |location=London}} In the classic, Haafhd moved up to take the lead two furlongs out and, despite drifting right, won by one and three-quarter lengths from Snow Ridge, Azamour, Grey Swallow and Whipper.{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/horse_racing/3660181.stm |title=Haafhd claims Guineas |publisher=BBC News |date=2004-05-01 |access-date=2011-08-28}} After the race, Barry Hills ruled out the possibility of a Derby challenge whilst comparing Haafhd favourably to his 1979 2000 Guineas winner Tap On Wood. He also complimented the horse's temperament, calling him "a trainer's dream, so laid-back, with a great attitude to life".

These two excellent performances were followed by two disappointing efforts. In the St James's Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot, he took the lead in the straight, but faded into fourth behind Azamour.{{cite web|url=https://www.racingpost.com/results/2/ascot/2004-06-15/349237 |publisher=Racing Post |title=St James's Palace Stakes |access-date=2011-09-05}} A month later he made little impact in the Sussex Stakes, again fading in the closing stages to finish ninth of the eleven runners behind Soviet Song.{{cite web|url=https://www.racingpost.com/results/21/goodwood/2004-07-28/352035 |publisher=Racing Post |title=Sussex Stakes|access-date=2011-09-05}}

His final start saw him return to his best form. Sent off a relatively unconsidered 12-1 shot in the Champion Stakes he moved up to take the lead a furlong out and won by two and a half lengths from the filly Chorist, with Azamour back in third and good horses such as Refuse to Bend, Norse Dancer, Doyen and Lucky Story amongst the also-rans.{{cite web|url=https://www.racingpost.com/results/38/newmarket/2004-10-16/356493 |publisher=Racing Post |title=Champion Stakes |access-date=2011-09-05}} Barry Hills was visibly moved by the performance and called Haafhd "the best miler I have trained".{{cite news|author=Eddie Fremantle at Newmarket |url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2004/oct/17/horseracing.eddiefremantle |title=Haafhd hits heights for Hills|date= 2004-10-17|access-date=2011-09-05 |location=London |work=The Guardian}}

Four days after the Champion Stakes win, it was announced that Haafhd would be retired to stand at his owner's stud. The decision was announced by Hamdan Al Maktoum's racing manager Angus Gold who explained that although the owner would have liked to have kept the colt in training, he had "decided he was a very important cog in his breeding operation.".{{cite web|url=http://www.sportinglife.com/racing/story_get.dor?STORY_NAME=racing/04/10/20/manual_070914.html |title=HAAFHD RETIRED TO STUD |work=Sporting Life|date=2010-03-12 |access-date=2011-09-05}}

Race record

class = "wikitable sortable" | border="1" cellpadding="1" style="text-align:centre; margin-left:1em; float:centre; border-collapse: collapse; font-size:85%"

style="background:#dacaa4; text-align:center;"

! style="background:#dacaa4;"| Date

! style="background:#dacaa4;"| Race

! style="background:#dacaa4;"| Dist (f)

! style="background:#dacaa4;"| Course

! style="background:#dacaa4;"| Class

! style="background:#dacaa4;"| Prize (£K)

! style="background:#dacaa4;"| Odds

! style="background:#dacaa4;"| Runners

! style="background:#dacaa4;"| Placing

! style="background:#dacaa4;"| Margin

! style="background:#dacaa4;"| Time

! style="background:#dacaa4;"| Jockey

! style="background:#dacaa4;"| Trainer

|Hugo & the Huguenotes Maiden Stakes

|Newmarket July

|5/4

|10

|1:15.84

|Richard Hills

|Barry Hills

|Washington Singer Stakes

|Newbury

|14

|9/4

|1:23.04

|79

|10/11

|2.25

|1:27.92

|142

|7/1

|12

|1.5

|1:25.22

|29

|100/30

|1:38.33

|174

|11/2

|14

|1.75

|1:36.64

|Richard Hills

|Barry Hills

|St James's Palace Stakes

|Ascot

|139

|6/4

|11

|1.25

|1:39.02

|174

|9/2

|11

|9.5

|1:36.98

|10

|215

|12/1

|11

|2.5

|2:06.90

|Richard Hills

|Barry Hills

Assessment

In the 2004 World Thoroughbred Racehorse Rankings, Haafhd was rated at 124, making him the seventh best horse in the world, and the best horse in the world on turf in the Mile and Intermediate categories.[http://www.horseracingintfed.com/resources/2004Rankings/2004_Rankings_All.asp World Thoroughbred Racehorse Rankings]

He was given a rating of 129 by Timeform in the same year.

Stud career

Since being retired to his owner's Nunnery Stud, Haafhd has sired the winners of over 170 races. His best offspring is probably Silver Grecian, winner of the Superlative Stakes.{{cite web|url=https://www.racingpost.com/profile/horse/572724/haafhd |title=Haafhd stud record |publisher=Racing Post |access-date=2011-08-28}}