YORK, England, Aug 20: Nayef exacted sweet revenge on Golan and had punters heading for the champagne bars when winning the $398,000 Group One Juddmonte International Stakes Tuesday.

Strong betting ring support saw the handsome half-brother to Nashwan sent off as 6-4 favourite - and under Richard Hills he carried out his remit to perfection.

Nayef was edged out a head by Golan (9-4) when they last met in the King George but over this shorter mile and a quarter trip and with the left-handed track in his favour Nayef, on paper at any rate, appeared to hold all the aces.

And so it proved as he took over from Golan’s pacemaker, Starbourne, with three furlongs to go, Kieren Fallon though had the move covered - and the battle was on.

Fallon brought Golan up to draw level with Nayef’s saddle but hard as he tried over the closing two furlongs Nayef always looked like holding sway, half a length splitting the pair as they crossed the line.

Noverre, trained by Saeed Bin Suroor for Godolphin and ridden by Frankie Dettori, was one and a half lengths back in third.

Nayef runs in the colours of Hamdan Al Maktoum and is trained by Marcus Tregoning, a former assistant to Dick Hern, Nashwan’s trainer who died like his former stable star this summer.—AFP