Sayidah Dariyan

She opened her account at Lingfield Park in September 2024, and there is a nice story around that day. Her trainer Richard Hughes had taken her to Windsor shortly before, fancied her strongly, but the track's uneven surface threw her completely off rhythm. Rather than wait months, he turned her around quickly — just over a week later — for a six-furlong race on the all-weather at Lingfield that he felt suited her perfectly. She won so convincingly that it surprised even him, and she clearly went up in his estimation at home after that. It is the kind of shrewd, responsive training that defines a good yard.

From there, Sayidah Dariyan kept climbing. A Class 2 win at Chelmsford in April 2025 proved she was no one-hit wonder, and the York victory two months later confirmed she belongs at the highest level. Her record of 3 wins from 9 races — roughly one in every three — is exceptional for any horse, let alone one still only two years old. On normal ground specifically, she has won 2 of her 3 races, a 67% record that suggests she is at her brilliant best when conditions suit.

The one note of caution is that she has not raced for around seven months, returning from a break that began after York. Her recent form does show some inconsistency — a seventh and a sixteenth in her last two outings before that win are a reminder that top-level racing at this age is unforgiving. Hughes is based at Upper Lambourn and has sent out 65 winners this season, so the stable is in fine health heading into her return. Whether Sayidah Dariyan comes back as sharp as she left York is the question everyone around her will be keen to answer.