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"His two-year-old form was very good and he ran well in the Guineas and St James's Palace, then we went up in trip when we should probably have been coming back down"

Shadwell homebred Alyanaabi, who won the Group 3 Tattersalls Stakes and finished a fine second to City Of Troy in the Dewhurst Stakes at two in 2023, was back to his best with a clear-cut victory in the Listed Spring Trophy at Haydock on Saturday.

The Owen Burrows-trained gelding, who also ran a respectable fifth in the 2,000 Guineas and St James's Palace Stakes last year, made all the running under Shadwell jockey Jim Crowley on his four-year-old bow at the weekend, and scored by one and a quarter lengths from the smart Tiber Flow.

"Alyanaabi's two-year-old form was very good and he ran well in the Guineas and St James's Palace, then we went up in trip when we should probably have been coming back down," said Burrows.

"We cut him, he's always shown a good level at home and he's been doing that again this spring. It's good to see him back. He relaxed and set his own fractions and picked up well when needed. 

"If he's falling into the seven-furlong category there's not a huge amount of options but Jim's adamant he'd love to try him over a stiff six."

Alyanaaabi is out of Alyamaama, a Kitten's Joy half-sister to seven winners including 1,000 Guineas and Coronation Stakes heroine Ghanaati, Champion Stakes runner-up Mawatheeq and Oaks third Rumoush. 

He is yet another top-class horse descended from Shadwell’s outstanding blue hen mare Height Of Fashion. Only last week Falakeyah, another Shadwell colour-bearer from this family, bolted up in the Pretty Polly Stakes at Newmarket to advertise her Classic claims.

The best horses to emerge from this wonderful dynasty in recent years are dual champion Baaaed, who stands under the Shadwell banner at Beech House Stud in Newmarket, and his multiple Group 1-winning full-brother Hukum, who stands at Darley Japan.