Al Nayyir sent a clear signal to his Champions Day competitors with a commanding victory in the Jockey Club Rose Bowl Stakes at Newmarket.
The six-year-old, who finished a narrow second in the Group Two Lonsdale Cup at York last month in his debut for Tom Clover, lived up to his 11-8 favourite status in this Listed contest, winning comfortably.
Aidan O’Brien’s Fighter took the lead in the two-mile race, but jockey Luke Morris expertly found a gap and steadily expanded Al Nayyir’s advantage. Harbour Wind, trained by Dermot Weld, initially moved up alongside the eventual winner, but ultimately finished eight lengths behind in second place.
Following this performance, Al Nayyir’s odds for the British Champions Long Distance Cup at Ascot next month have shortened to 7-1 from 16s with Paddy Power.
"He did it nicely, and I couldn’t be more thrilled with the way he won—he did it under a hold," said Clover. "We’ve got him entered for Champions Day, and that seems like the logical next step. I’d love to avoid facing Kyprios, though."
Clover continued, "It’s hard to say if he could compete with Kyprios, but he certainly looks classy. His performance at York showed he can come from far back and finish strongly. It would be great to see them match up at some point; we’re all sports fans, and that would be exciting."
He added, "He’s a very exciting horse for us, and I’m grateful to the owner for their support. He’s one of our highest-rated horses, and we love having stakes horses like him. His race at York was significant, and he seems to be improving. Winning a stakes race by that margin is thrilling, and as a Dubawi, he’s likely to continue developing with age."
While Ascot is a priority, Al Nayyir may also target a trip to Dubai this winter. Clover noted, "The plan is to head to Dubai, and the owner is keen on it as well. There’s fantastic prize money in Dubai and Saudi Arabia. I’m just thrilled he got his head in front today; he deserved this win, and we hope to build on it in the coming weeks. He didn’t exert much in this race, so we’re optimistic about his recovery."
Weld, who travelled from Ireland for the race, praised Harbour Wind’s effort and also has eyes on Ascot. "He ran his usual excellent race and has never finished outside the top two," he said. "Kudos to the winner; he looks like a high-class stayer. Harbour Wind came into this race rated 114, but I believe he performed well above that today."
Weld concluded, "I’d say we’re likely to head to Champions Day. We’ll review the plan with the owner, though the ground might have been a bit too soft for him today."