Alyanaabi's 2000 Guineas bid is "all systems go" after impressing trainer Owen Burrows during a gallop at Newmarket.
The Too Darn Hot colt made his first race last June at Salisbury and followed up with a fourth-place finish out of ten in the Ascot Listed Pat Eddery Stakes.
The latter time, he was defeated by Richard Hannon's Rosallion, a Group One winner, and he won after the Tattersalls Stakes at Newmarket. He then met perhaps the most highly regarded horse in training, City of Troy.
The race was held in the Dewhurst Stakes, which is considered an early Classic trial. Alyanaabi impressed by finishing second behind City Of Troy, despite the latter's notable reputation remaining intact.
After an excellent two-year-old campaign, Aidan O'Brien's colt is the clear favourite for the Qipco-sponsored Guineas. Alyanaabi is also expected to compete in the same race, having performed well in a racecourse gallop before the Craven meeting.
“He came out of that fine, he did a bit of work on Saturday as the ground was beautiful at home last weekend,” said Burrows. “We’re getting a drop of rain again but nothing too measurable and I think he appreciated the nice ground on Saturday. He’s in good form and, touch wood, it’s all systems go now.”
Alyanaabi, who is owned and bred by Shadwell, will wait for the Guineas, but other competitors have challenged a trial first and provided additional background on his juvenile form.
Hannon's Haatem is one such horse; he finished fifth in the Dewhurst and went on to win the Craven Stakes at Newmarket last week.
Considering how the trials went on, Burrows added: “Richard Hannon’s horse won well at Newmarket, he was behind us in the Dewhurst but it’s a new year. I shouldn’t think Aidan has lost too much sleep, we’ve all got City Of Troy to beat if he turns up in the same form he was in as a two-year-old. We’ve all got to take him on, but you can’t run from one horse.”