Mark Of Esteem (IRE)

Raced twice for Henry Cecil as a 2yo, landing his maiden in impressive style at Goodwood in July 1995, but did not race again that season due to injury; first start for Saeed bin Suroor as a 3yo was in the 1996 Group 1 2,000 Guineas when he got the better of a magnificent three-way battle inside the final furlong; slightly disappointing in the St James's Palace Stakes on his next start but returned to winning ways in the Group 2 Celebration Mile at Goodwood before a scintillating success in the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Stakes, beating high class filly Bosra Sham, a performance that confirmed him as the season's champion miler; official handicappers hailed it as the best performance of his generation over a mile for a decade; having finished seventh in the 1996 Breeders' Cup Mile, he was retired to stand at Dalham Hall Stud; died in May 2014; best at 1m on quick ground