Nayef always in command Nayef ploughed the rain-softened ground to get favourite backers off to a winning start in the Group Three Royal Court Theatre Cumberland Lodge Stakes at Ascot this afternoon.Willie Supple always had Nashwan`s half-brother handily-placed as Norwegian raider Sagittarius set a sensible pace for the mile and a half on the slow ground.Nayef, the 8-13 favourite, took up the running fully half a mile out and from that point was always in command to win by a length and a quarter from Sagittarius (12-1) with the well-supported Boreas (7-2) a length further away third.Nayef was completing a hat-trick, all in Group Three events, and the one-time favourite for the 2000 Guineas and Derby is now fulfilling his immense promise.'Luckily it is coming together now. He`s in the Dubai Champion Stakes but we`ll see how he has taken this and we`ll leave it till quite late on to decide whether he goes to Newmarket,' said trainer Marcus Tregoning.'He`s a fresh horse as I laid him off for a while. Whatever happens, you`ll definitely see him next year.'
