Trainer Marcus Tregoning admitted today that it is by no means certain the Derby favourite Nayef will stay one and a half miles next year.
Nayef, a half-brother to the 2000 Guineas and Derby winner Nashwan, shot to the top of the betting for the Classics with a runaway victory at Ascot last Saturday.
The colt`s sire Gulch is not generally an influence for stamina although he has sired a winner of the one-mile-two-furlong Kentucky Derby.
'Nayef has got one mile well in soft so you can say he`s certainly going to stay one and a quarter miles next year,' said Tregoning.
'You can`t be so sure about one and a half miles. I`ll just keep my fingers crossed but bearing in mind that Gulch has been responsible for a Kentucky Derby winner you have to be hopeful.'
Tregoning is still waiting to hear whether he will be training Hamdan Al Maktoum`s colt for his Classic campaign.
There is still a possibility Nayef could be transferred to the Godolphin operation andtrained by Saeed bin Suroor.
Meanwhile, there will soon be a further chance to check the strength of Nayef`s form.
The horse he beat by a neck at Newbury on his debut, Tamburlaine, is set to tackle the Racing Post Trophy at Doncaster tomorrow week
