Alkumait came from last to first to win the Dubai Duty Free Mill Reef Stakes for Marcus Tregoning, Hamdan Al Maktoum and Jim Crowley.
The 8/1 chance settled matters with a good turn of pace to sweep to the front and only had to be pushed out to beat the free-going 5/2 favourite Fivethousandtoone by three-quarters-of-a-length. The pair were clear of Rhythm Master (3/1) in third.
"I was very impressed and I'm glad he came back a lot better than he went down. He was panicking as the colours were flapping in the wind and I had to hack him down," Crowley told ITV Racing.
"In the race he switched off nicely and it was all so smooth really. He showed a good turn of foot, took a massive step forward from Goodwood and was idling in front there.
"He's up there with our best two-year-olds. Minzaal won the Gimcrack and it's nice to have two very high-class six furlong two-year-olds."
Sky Bet halved the winner in price to 20/1 for the QIPCO 2000 Guineas. Betfair and Paddy Power introduced him at 33s.
Tregoning said of the winner: “It has been one of those nice upward curves with him. I worked him on some faster ground this week and I could see he was very good on it. He is not jarred and doesn’t feel the ground and he will progress and go on.”
The victory was a significant boost for the Derby-winning trainer following the enforced retirement of his stable star Mohaather last month due to injury.
He added: “I knew we had this one coming through (after Mohaather), we just had to keep him right. He’s stabled right next door to my house. If he moves, like Mohaather did through the night, it wakes me up, but it is worth it.”
Tregoning is keen to test Alkumait’s stamina to see if he could be a contender for next year’s 2000 Guineas over a mile.
He said: “There is a lot of speed on the dam’s side, but if we are allowed, and everybody agrees, we will try to mould him to at least get seven furlongs and then after that we will see.
“If you could get him to drop in and settle, like he did today, there is every chance he will get a little bit further. I think that is the way to go. It opens up the game plan a bit. We could always come back to six furlongs.
“He was a little bit hairy going down to the start and a couple of times during the race the wind was blowing a bit and this little horse could hear the covers rattling. It’s just a thing he has to get used to
“He couldn’t have been more smooth through the race. He came from last to move up swiftly and he was going away at the end. I think he is pretty useful.
“When I saw him get loose one day was when I first thought he was good. He did injure one of my staff quite badly. He is just well made and has the same power down the saddle that Mohaather did – he is very similar.
“Sheikh Hamdan may want to put him away after today, but I’d be keen to run him in Group One company before the end of the season if there is a suitable race.”
