[3] As a foal, Araafa was consigned by the Castletown Stud to the Tattersalls sale in November 2003 and was bought for 48,000 guineas by the bloodstock agent Paul Shanahan.
[6] He was then moved up in class to contest the Listed Acomb Stakes at York Racecourse in August and finished second to Palace Episode, a colt who went on to win the Racing Post Trophy.
Araafa produced a better effort on his final appearance of the season, as he finished third to Hurricane Cat in the Group Three Horris Hill Stakes at Newbury Racecourse on 22 October.
Ridden for the first time by Alan Munro he stayed on well in the closing stages to finish fourth of the fourteen runners behind George Washington, Sir Percy and Olympian Odyssey.
Three weeks later, Araafa was sent to Ireland to contest the Irish 2000 Guineas on soft ground at the Curragh and started the 12/1 fourth choice in the betting behind George Washington (unbeaten in over a year), Decado (winner of the Tetrarch Stakes) and Hurricane Cat.
He was again opposed by Decado as well as two runners from the Aidan O'Brien stable: Ivan Denisovich (July Stakes) and Marcus Andronicus (runner-up to Aussie Rules in the Poule d'Essai des Poulains).
"[10] On 2 August, Araafa was matched against older horses for the first time and started 11/10 favourite for the Sussex Stakes over one mile at Goodwood Racecourse.
Ridden by John Velazquez, he was made the 11/4 favourite but after reaching third place in the straight he weakened in the final furlong and finished ninth of the fourteen runners behind Miesque's Approval.