Sayif so close again

Darley-sired runners on the board in the G1 Middle Park Stakes as Elusive Quality has another promising maiden winner at Newmarket

Sayif (pictured, left), the super-tough and very fast son of Kheleyf, recorded his fourth Group placing when chasing home Prix Morny winner Bushranger in the G1 Middle Park Stakes at Newmarket.  Previously placed in the July Stakes, Vintage Stakes and Mill Reef Stakes, Sayif pulled clear of the remainder, running stoutly all the way to the line to confirm himself as one of the best sprinting juveniles of the season for owners Saleh Al Homaizi and Imad Al Sagar, best known for the Derby victory of Authorized.

Darley was doubly represented in the unsaddling enclosure after the Middle Park Stakes because third place was taken by the lightly-raced homebred Huntdown, a handsome son of Elusive Quality who coped admirably with this step up in class – he had only won his maiden two weeks previously to show himself to be a very exciting prospect for Princess Haya.

Huntdown’s great run was the second good result of the afternoon for Elusive Quality because his magnificent two-year-old son Evasive opened his account in fine style in the Nunnery Stud EBF Maiden Stakes, a seven-furlong race which has an excellent record of throwing up good horses.  Showing the benefit of his debut third at Kempton, Evasive won easily and looks sure to hold his own in Stakes company for the habitually successful partnership of Sir Michael Stoute and Cheveley Park Stud. He is a beautifully-bred colt out of the Storm Cat mare Canda, a grand-daughter of the great Miesque.

The Cheveley Park Stakes, one of two juvenile Group One races on Newmarket's card, fell to a Serious Attitude, a daughter of the pensioned Darley stallion Mtoto, sire of the Derby winner Shaamit. The filly was bred in Ireland by Paddy Twomey from the Cape Cross mare Zameyla, who is a half-sister to King's Best's Stakes-winning son Army Of Angels.