Sayf El Arab was a "small, attractive"[2] bay horse with no white markings bred in Kentucky by Walter Ferrell.
Sayf El Arab was sired by Drone, a Kentucky-bred stallion who was undefeated in four races in a brief track career before retiring to stud after a career-ending injury.
The colt raced much firmer ground conditions and was re-fitted with blinkers when he was stepped up to Group One class for the first time for the King's Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot.
Ridden by the lightweight Myrddin "Taffy" Thomas he started a 33/1 outsider whilst his stablemate On Stage was made the 11/4 favourite in a sixteen-runner field.
Sayf El Arab started quickly, took an early lead and never looked in any danger of defeat and drew away in the final furlong to win by three lengths from Soba with On Stage in third place.
[3][6] After an absence of well over two months, Sayf El Arab was tried over six furlongs in the Haydock Sprint Cup but after going well for most of the way he tired in the closing stages and finished fifth of the six runners behind Habibti.
In 1982, the independent Timeform organisation gave Sayf El Arab a rating of 110, 23 pounds inferior to their top two-year-old Diesis, and commented that he appeared "barely to stay 6f".
[7] After his retirement from racing, Sayf El Arab began his career as a breeding stallion at the Woodditton Stud in Newmarket where he stood at an initial fee of £4,000.