Desert Creek went into the notebook as a colt with a very bright future after an impressive hands-and-heels win at Yarmouth on Tuesday.
The Refuse To Bend colt is trained by Sir Michael Stoute and had impressed when second on debut at Windsor a fortnight earlier. Stepping up to seven furlongs for Yarmouth’s final meeting of the season, he was soon in the van and increased the tempo within the final two furlongs to finish three-and-a-quarter lengths clear of his rivals.
Bred by Mount Coote Stud and M H Dixon, Desert Creek is out of the Rainbow Quest mare Flagship, who is a daughter of the Oaks winner Bireme. He brings Refuse To Bend’s tally of winners from his first crop to 14.
Extending his lead even farther at the head of the first-season sires’ table is Kheleyf, who has had a numerical advantage for most of the season. Eurosmart Lady became his 31st winner of the season when scoring at Limerick. He is now just four short of the record set by Invincible Spirit in 2006. Bred by Raymond Doyle, Eurosmart Lady is out of Touchy Feelings (Ashkalani), a half sister to Listed winner Access All Areas.
The Juddmonte-bred Runaway, by King's Best, already had two Listed victories to his credit and he added a third on Tuesday when winning the Prix Tantieme over ten furlongs at Compiegne. Like King’s Best’s Group One winner Creachadoir, Runaway is out of a Sadler’s Wells mare, his dam being Anasazi, a three-parts sister to the great Dancing Brave.
