Farhh

Background

Farhh is a bay horse with no white markings bred by the Darley Stud, the breeding arm of Sheikh Mohammed's Godolphin organisation. His sire Pivotal was a top class sprinter who won the King's Stand Stakes and the Nunthorpe Stakes in 1996. He went on to become an “excellent” sire, getting the winners of more than a thousand races across a range of distances including Sariska, Somnus, Kyllachy (Nunthorpe Stakes) and Excellent Art. Farhh's dam Gonbarda was a highly successful racehorse in Germany, winning the Deutschland Preis and the Preis von Europa as a three-year-old in 2005. As a granddaughter of the broodmare Grimpola she was closely related to the Ascot Gold Cup winner Fame and Glory.

2010–2011: early career

On his racecourse debut, Farhh was ridden Ted Durcan in a seven furlong maiden race at Newmarket Racecourse on 24 July 2010. He started the 13/8 joint-favourite in a field of seven and won by six lengths from Flodden. Farrh was an intended runner in the Frank Whittle Partnership Conditions Stakes at Doncaster on 10 September 2010, where he would have opposed Frankel for the first time, but became worked up in the stalls and was withdrawn before the race started.

After being off the racecourse for fifteen months, Farhh reappeared as a three-year-old in a one mile handicap race at Newmarket on 29 October 2011. Ridden by Silvestre de Sousa he carried 125 pounds and won "readily" by two and a half lengths from nineteen opponents.

2012: four-year-old season

On his four-year-old debut Farhh ran in the Thirsk Hunt Cup, over a mile, at Thirsk Racecourse on 5 May in which he was ridden by Antioco Murgia, claiming 5 pounds. Carrying top weight of 128 pounds he took the lead two furlongs from the finish and accelerated clear of his rivals to win by six lengths.

Farhh was then moved up to the highest level for the Prince of Wales's Stakes at Royal Ascot in June. Ridden for the first time by Frankie Dettori he sustained his first defeat as he finished third of the eleven runners behind So You Think and Carlton House. Seventeen days later Farhh started favourite for the Eclipse Stakes over ten furlongs at Sandown Park Racecourse. He was restrained by Dettori in the early stages before producing a strong challenge in the straight, but failed by half a length to catch Nathaniel. At Goodwood Racecourse in July he finished six lengths second to the world's top-rated racehorse Frankel in the Sussex Stakes over one mile. Farhh took on Frankel again in the International Stakes over ten and a half furlongs at York. He was beaten seven lengths by the Henry Cecil-trained champion, but got the better of a sustained contest with St Nicholas Abbey for second place. On his final appearance of the season Farhh was sent to France for the Prix du Moulin at Longchamp on 16 September in which he was beaten a head by the French-trained filly Moonlight Cloud.

2013: five-year-old season

Farhh began his fourth season on 18 May 2013 in the Lockinge Stakes over one mile at Newbury Racecourse. Ridden by de Sousa, he took the lead approaching the final furlong and pulled clear to win by four lengths to record his first major victory. Having picked up a further injury in the weeks following his Lockinge romp, Farhh's next racecourse appearance was the Champion Stakes, run over 10 furlongs, at Ascot on 19 October. Farhh, ridden again by Silvestre de Sousa, started as the 11/4 second favourite for the end-of-season highlight behind French champion Cirrus des Aigles, who had won the inaugural running of race when moved to Ascot from Newmarket in 2011 and finished second behind Frankel in 2012. The 10 horse field also included that year's Derby winner Ruler Of The World, Mukhadram who won that season's Brigadier Gerard Stakes and York Stakes as well as being placed in both the Eclipse Stakes and Prince of Wales's Stakes in the summer, King Edward VII Stakes winner Hillstar, Prix du Jockey Club runner-up Morandi, 2012 Epsom Derby second Main Sequence, 2011 Dewhurst Stakes victor Parish Hall, Andre Fabre trained multiple group winning filly Triple Threat and three-time group 1 winner Hunter's Light. Farhh, under de Sousa, soon took keen hold coming out of stall 5 and tracked early leader Hunter's Light, also owned by Godolphin, in company with Morandi and Triple Threat. After travelling smoothly through the whole race Farhh preceded to take over the running into the home straight, with the move being covered by Christophe Soumillon on 11-time group winner Cirrus Des Aigles. After leading over a furlong out, Farhh was soon under pressure and quickly chased by the seemingly full-of-running Cirrus des Aigles with Ruler Of The World and jockey Ryan Moore challenging from very wide, having come round the whole field. Farhh was pressed by the challengers well into the final furlong and along with Cirrus des Aigles and Ruler Of The World, moved well clear of the rest of the field. However, following a pulsating run to the line, where the three principles were split by no more than a length, Farhh found more on the front end and held off the late challenges to hold on gamely to win by a neck at the finish line from Cirrus Des Aigles on his outside in second and Ruler Of The World (on the outside of Cirrus des Aigles) a half length back in third. At the line there was a clear 6 length gap back to Hunter's Light, who held on for fourth from Mukhadram in fifth who was followed by Hillstar, Morandi, Main Sequence, Parish Hall and Triple Threat. The finishing time was 2m 12.02s on the soft turf course. In the aftermath, trainer Saeed bin Suroor went on to say: "this horse is a great fighter. He had a break after winning the Lockinge and he has been a miler in the past but a mile and a quarter was great for him today on that ground. He was the best horse in the race today. I am very proud of him and this is good for Godolphin. Every year, he has had problems. Luckily, he has won a pair of Group 1s on his last two races. He is a great horse and I am so happy. He's been a very tough horse since he was a two-year-old but we've just had to look after him with a different programme to keep him sound. His last piece of work was brilliant and the ground was a concern but he handled it well." It was announced soon afterwards that Farhh would retire from racing to stand as a stallion at Dalham Hall Stud in Newmarket in 2014. Farhh retired with a record of 5 wins (twice at group 1 level), 4 seconds and a third from 10 career starts and an official rating of 124.

Assessment

In the 2012 edition of the World Thoroughbred Racehorse Rankings Farhh was given a rating of 124, making him the thirteenth best racehorse in the world and the equal of Camelot, Animal Kingdom, Danedream and Bodemeister.