ENTIFAADHA LANDS ACOMB

William Haggas' Entifaadha won the sportingbet.com Acomb Stakes at York.

The Dansili colt (7-2 fav) came off the bridle fairly early on under Richard Hills but moved through with a challenge on the far side with two furlongs to go.

He had to work hard to see off runner-up Fort Bastion (15-2) and the third home Zumbi (8-1) but was firmly in charge at the line.

Caledonian Spring ran on late in the day for a closing fourth and looked unlucky, having been stopped repeatedly in his run.

Haggas said about the winner: "He's come from a maiden to win this. He wants to win this horse and has a great temperament so has a real chance.

"I don't know how good the race was those two attributes will stand him in good stead wherever he goes.

"He looks like he'll get a mile. It means a lot to me to have another Stakes winner for Sheikh Hamdan. He may have liked the ground but is a nice horse, who cost a lot of money.

"He's pretty high up in my two-year-old pecking order at the moment. We look to have a nice bunch. A few have won maidens and need to step up and he's done just that.

"Johnny Murtagh said he was a Group horse when he won his maiden and Richard (Hills) likes him a lot. He's in all the big autumn races and I'll put him in the Grand Criterium too. He has another options to keep him occupied and me excited."

Hills added: "He's not very big, but he's very tough.

"I was always going to get there, but he made me work for it.

"He came out of his first race well. He gave Johnny (Murtagh) a good feel and he told us to be bold with him. He did a nice bit of work last week.

"I thought they went very fast early and then they quickened pretty early in the straight.

"It rode like a good race. There was a proper pace and they picked up from it."

Entifaadha was promptly given a 20-1 quote by William Hill for next year's 2000 Guineas.

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