Nayef's `wonder horse' tag was ripped apart as he flopped at chilly Newmarket yesterday. The leading contender for the Classics failed to live up to the hype heaped on his shoulders when trailing in third (beaten over three lengths) in the Macau Jockey Club Craven Stakes.
Instead the Group Three Prize went to King's Ironbridge who was providing trainer Richard Hannon with his third victory in the last 11 runnings of the race. Jockey Richard Hughes, who rode Wednesday's big race winner Clearing, squeezed a little extra out of the 12 to 1 chance to pip Red Carpet by a head.
Bookmakers were soon revising prices for the Sagitta 2,000 Guineas and Ladbrokes have eased Nayef to 5 to 1 for the Newmarket Classic. The colt is out to 16 to 1 for the Vodafone Derby.
A disconsolate jockey Richard Hills said: "There has been a lot of hype surrounding this horse. Maybe people were expecting too much. Don't write him off yet."
Trainer Marcus Tregoning had thought long and hard before allowing Nayef to take part in the ground. He said: "We came pretty close to taking him out but I am glad we ran. I am certain he will be a nice horse but whether he will be a 2,000 Guineas winner we will just have to wait and see."
King's Ironbridge will now join his more fancied stablemate Tamburlaine in the lineup for the first Classic.
Olden Times capped a memorable Craven meeting for John Dunlop by emerging as a Vodafone Derby candidate. His transformation from once-raced maiden to Listed race winner was a real feather in the cap for a trainer who also took the opening race with Golden Sparrow and enjoyed no fewer than five wins overall at the three-day fixture.
Jarred up after finishing fourth on his debut at York nine months previously, Olden Times fully justified Dunlop's decision to bring him back against Classic hopes in the nine-furlong Feilden Stakes.
Sent off 11 to 4 favourite, Pat Eddery's mount got the better of 50 to 1 shot Sunny Glenn by a short head, with hitherto unbeaten Elnahaar - trained by Dunlop's son Ed - another length and three-quarters away in third. The winner is now quoted as short as 20 to 1 for the Derby by the Tote.
Papillon is set to run in the £125,000 Whitbread Gold Cup at Sandown tomorrow week. The 10-year-old was remounted to finish fourth when bidding for a repeat victory in the Martell Grand National earlier this month.
Due to the Irish Government's foot-and-mouth restrictions, Papillon, who is currently stabled with Di Haine at Newmarket, cannot return to trainer Ted Walsh's Co Kildare base.
"All being well you'll see him at Sandown. If conditions are right and he pleases me in a bit of work next week he'll probably go there," said Walsh yesterday.
If he wins at Sandown, Papillon will land a £100,000 bonus which is available for any horse who finishes in the first four in the Grand National and goes on to win the Whitbread.
