JOINING the established stallions Acclamation and Tagula at Rathbarry Stud this spring are two newcomers, the Group 2 winning two-year-old Ajaya and the high-class miler Kodi Bear. Rathbarry’s other stallions, Xtension and Moohaajim, have their first yearlings in 2017.

The conqueror of subsequent champion Ribchester in the Group 2 Gimcrack Stakes at York, Ajaya had been beaten only a head in the Prix Robert Papin in France by the speedy Gutaifan and was also fourth in the Group 1 Middle Park Stakes to Shalaa, the champion British juvenile. At the end of the season, this attractive son of Invincible Spirit was rated on 117 by Timeform’s Racehorses of 2015, ranking him among the top six juveniles trained in Britain, level with Gutaifan and above both Ribchester and Galileo Gold.

Trained by William Haggas, Ajaya was a close second of 11 runners at Nottingham on his debut at the end of May 2015, before easily winning at York in July by four and a half lengths on his third outing. Two weeks later he was sent to Maisons-Laffitte for the Group 2 Prix Robert Papin over five and a half furlongs, where he battled with Gutaifan all the way and in a very close finish was just beaten by a head, with the third another two lengths away.

Ajaya was still improving and in August he won the six furlongs Gimcrack Stakes by a length and a quarter from Ribchester, going ahead a furlong and half from home to score comfortably. He ended a very successful season in the Group 1 Middle Park Stakes at Newmarket a month later, matching strides for most of the way with the British champion two-year-old Shalaa before fading close home to finish fourth.

Ajaya was only able to race twice as a three-year-old, picking up some more prize money behind Quiet Reflection in the Group 2 Sandy Lane Stakes at Haydock.

Invincible Spirit, the sire of Ajaya, was champion sprinter in 2001 when he won the Group 1 Haydock Sprint Cup. A son of Green Desert, he has already sired almost 100 blacktype winners, including Ajaya’s old rival Shalaa, Kingman, Lawman, Territories, the fillies Midnight Cloud and Fleeting Spirit, and National Defense, the best two-year-old in France in 2016.

Ajaya is the first produce of his dam Nessina, an unraced daughter of Hennessy and Didina, who was a listed winner at York before adding the Grade 2 Dahlia Handicap at Hollywood Park. Didina’s daughter Tantina won listed races before becoming the dam of the champion miler Cityscape, who won group races in four countries including the Group 1 Dubai Duty Free Stakes. Tantina is also dam of the fine sprinter Bated Breath. Ajaya’s fourth dam Monroe won the Group 3 Ballyogan Stakes and was dam of the dual champion and top-class sire Xaar.

Won two races, £166,067, from 5 furlongs to 6 furlongs, at 2 years including Irish TB Marketing Gimcrack Stakes, York, Gr.2, also placed second in Prix Robert Papin, Maisons-Laffitte, Gr.2.

Retires to stud in 2017.

Stands at: Rathbarry Stud, Fermoy, Co Cork, Ireland

Contact: Catherine Cashman, Paul Cashman, Francis Woods

Telephone: +353 25 36362

Email: rathbarr@iol,ie

Web: www.rathbarrystud.com

Fee: €10,000