Arabian Crown lays down Derby marker with G3 Ghaiyyath Zetland Stakes rout

Progressive juvenile Arabian Crown added a G3 win to his profile with a comprehensive success in the Ghaiyyath Zetland Stakes at Newmarket, UK, on Saturday, 14 October.

The Dubawi colt was stepping up to a mile and a quarter for Charlie Appleby on the back of two impressive wins over shorter, including taking a mile Listed race at Salisbury on his previous outing.

William Buick sent Arabian Crown into a slender advantage, with Gasper de Lemos moving up to press for the lead after the first three furlongs. Arabian Crown had all three of his rivals off the bridle passing the three-furlong marker before kicking into a clear lead soon afterwards.

Having readily taken control of the race, Arabian Crown was eased close home to finish five and a half lengths ahead of Gasper de Lemos.

Charlie Appleby said: “William said him and Ryan [Moore on Gasper de Lemos] set even fractions, and William felt the further he was going, the better he was going. You could see from the three-furlong pole that the others were coming under pressure, whereas you could see from William’s body language that he was gaining confidence.

“Arabian Crown always brings his A-game in the afternoon – he is not the best of workers – but that is what I love about him. There should be a bit of longevity about him and hopefully he will keep progressing. He is a nice horse to have around.

“We will put him away now and then look at one of the Derby trials in the spring. He could be a Dante horse as well. It would be a shame to run him and Ancient Wisdom against each other but, if that is what needs to be done, then so be it. This horse looks as though he could go further, whereas a mile and a quarter is the next step for Ancient Wisdom.

“I would say Arabian Crown is a Derby-type horse. He will get the trip no problem and also has a great head for it, whereas Ancient Wisdom has more pace, which you also need for a Derby. They are just two lovely horses to have for the winter, there is no doubt about it.”

William Buick said: “Arabian Crown has gone from strength to strength all season. He is a bit of a sleeper at home. He won very well on his second start, then stepped up again at Salisbury, and did the same again today. He definitely falls into the Derby-type category.”