MICHAEL Downey came close to breeding a Group 1 winner when Gold-Run was denied by Peniaphobia in the Sprint at Sha Tin. He did however have some consolation when another horse he bred, Forjatt, recently won the Listed National Day Cup at Abu Dhabi. Three weeks earlier he also landed the prep race at the same venue.

The seven-year-old Iffraaj gelding won the Group 3 Jebel Ali Mile in 2013 and was disqualified when passing the post first in the race last year. The National Day Cup was the eighth win for the gelding who was formerly trained by Michael Jarvis and Roger Varian. He showed useful juvenile form and finished second to subsequent Group 1 winner Wootton Bassett on his second start at two.