Haatem shines with back-to-back Royal Ascot victories
Placed in the English and Irish Guineas last season, Richard Hannon's charge won the Jersey Stakes at this meeting 12 months ago, but was not seen in competitive action again until April.
Having finished fifth on his Sandown comeback and then fourth in a Listed event in France, Haatem (8-1) stepped up to a mile and a quarter and saw out the trip well to beat Galen by three-quarters of a length under James Doyle, with 4-1 favourite King's Gambit – like the winner carrying the Wathnan Racing colours – a strong-finishing third.
Hannon said of Haatem: 'He's pleased everyone all the way through his career, especially me.
'He's an amazing horse and a pleasure to be involved with, for old connections and new connections, and he's one of those horses that makes you remember why you train horses.
'What did he cost, 27,000 guineas? And the best thing about racing is you can find these horses and they then win these big races.
'He worked in the week and it was the best piece of work he's done all year and I thought 'is this the right thing to do, upping him in trip, maybe we should stick to a mile?'.
'James said he's loved it despite being a bit eager early and it's not out of the question we come back to a mile, but he will probably turn up in the Eclipse (would need to be supplemented) and I could see him running very well in that.'
The Wathnan team and retained rider Doyle completed a quickfire double in the concluding Copper Horse Stakes, with John and Thady Gosden's French Master flying home to delight favourite-backers.
Making his first outing since being bought by the Qatar-based owners and also sporting blinkers for the first time, the 5-2 market leader was nearer last than first at the top of the straight but was doing his best work at the finish and was two and a half lengths clear at the winning line.
The Gosdens were also completing a double following the spectacular earlier success of Field Of Gold in the St James's Palace Stakes.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mirror
27 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
Arne Slot's 'criminal' opening Liverpool fixture after Jurgen Klopp had his say
Arne Slot was welcomed to Liverpool last season with a 12.30pm kick-off in his opening Premier League game – a time slot Jurgen Klopp repeatedly made known his dislike for it Liverpool boss Arne Slot will likely be hoping to avoid a 12.30pm opening day kick-off for a second consecutive Premier League season. The Dutchman was welcomed to English football last year with the early kick-off away to newly promoted Ipswich Town. While Slot made no mention of the time which resulted in a comfortable 2-0 win in the end for his side, it was a source of tension for his predecessor Jurgen Klopp, who consistently spoke of his annoyance of the early kick-off. With the fixture list for the 2025/26 Premier League campaign set to be released on Wednesday at 9am, the German will hope his former side aren't resigned to yet another early start, having previously called it a "crime". Klopp's frustration is certainly justified, as during his nine-year reign as Liverpool boss, the club featured in 45 early kick-offs – which ranks higher than any other Premier League club. In his last season in Merseyside, Liverpool took part in six of those particular fixtures – a league-high – compared to just two in Slot's debut campaign. It was in Klopp's final season at the club that he took full aim at the Premier League schedule, describing it as "absolutely insane" during a Liverpool press conference. The 58-year-old said: "I was actually waiting for Amnesty International to go to them. I would like to be part of that meeting when someone says: 'Liverpool 12.30', and the whole room is bursting into laughter. "I had a discussion only the other day with colleagues from our favourite TV channel, which I will definitely not watch again, TNT." Klopp – who is the Head of Global Soccer for Red Bull – then added that Liverpool being required to play "Thursday, Sunday, Wednesday, Saturday 12.30pm, is a crime." Regardless of Liverpool's kick-off time, the opening weekend of the season represents history for Mohamed Salah, who has scored a record nine goals on the first matchday of an English top-flight season. The Egyptian superstar has only failed to score once in the first league game of the season, which came against Chelsea in 2023 as he instead registered an assist for Luis Diaz's goal in a 1-1 draw at Stamford Bridge. Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
Daily Mirror
an hour ago
- Daily Mirror
Sir Alex Ferguson 'had his doubts' over Man Utd fixture list in astonishing rant
The randomised Premier League fixture will be released on Wednesday, although doubts have been raised about the system - most memorably by legendary Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson An astonishing attack from Sir Alex Ferguson about Manchester United's fixture list prompted the Premier League to release their own statement in 2009. The official list of matches and their dates for the 2025/26 campaign will be released on Wednesday at 9am. The huge schedule details the rough plan of the 380 games that will be played between the 20 clubs in the top flight of English football. Premier League officials state the list is always randomised and put together by an outside IT company called Atos. However, after being left unhappy by a run of matches at the start of 2009, Ferguson tore into the Premier League's fixture list and insinuated that they tried to make life difficult for the Red Devils. In the 2008/09 campaign, United had to face nine of the 10 teams who finished directly below them the previous season away in the first half of the campaign. He was also aggrieved that his team had to play on the road straight after United's three Champions League away clashes at the time. In a pre-match press conference previewing an FA Cup third-round tie away to Southampton, the Scot tore into the Premier League. He said: "I've been saying this for a few months, but our fixture programme didn't do us any favours. I think we have been handicapped by the Premier League. They tell me it's not planned - bloody hell!' When asked if he felt the Premier League wanted to disadvantage United, he added: "I've got my doubts. I'm not saying what they do down there. "But next year we'll be sending somebody to see how it happens, I can assure you. I just don't understand how you can get the fixtures like that.' The previous summer, United did have the opportunity to raise objections to the Premier League about the fixture list but chose not to. Officials from the division refuted Ferguson's comments with a strong statement. It read: "The Premier League fixtures are put together through as random a process as possible. The initial list is created by specialist software before going to the Fixtures Working Party, which is made up of representatives from the Premier League, Football League, FA, clubs and supporters. "The police also approve it before it is sent to the clubs, at which point they can raise any objections they may have. There are various factors that go into the structuring of the fixture list - police requests, club requests, involvement in European or FIFA competitions for example - but the overriding factor is the luck of the draw.' Despite the tricky fixture scheduling, United were able to win the Premier League, pipping Liverpool to the title by four points. Throughout that era, Ferguson was far from the only person who was sceptical about the scheduling. At the start of the 2005/06 campaign, Jose Mourinho, who was beginning his second season at Chelsea at the time, told the People newspaper: "It is always Chelsea who get the worst games, the worst fixtures to play, while Arsenal always have the best ones." His comments were said after the reveal of the fixture list, which had Chelsea down to play away from home immediately after their first five Champions League games, while the Gunners had home matches after their European clashes. Join our new MAN UTD WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Manchester United content from Mirror Football. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
South Wales Guardian
2 hours ago
- South Wales Guardian
Field Of Gold sparkles with decisive St James's Palace strike
John and Thady Gosden's colt had been a fast-finishing second behind Ruling Court in the 2000 Guineas before easily winning the Irish equivalent, while the French Guineas winner Henri Matisse was also running. There was no doubt who emerged as the best of the three though, as Colin Keane breezed through on the 8-11 favourite before bursting clear to beat Henri Matisse by three and a half lengths, with Ruling Court back in third. Field Of Gold has now charted the same route as his sire Kingman, who also suffered defeat at Newmarket before gaining Irish redemption and adding Royal Ascot glory when trained by John Gosden. 'Like father, like son,' said Gosden, in reference to Kingman's win in 2014. 'The nerves may have got to the trainer beforehand but thankfully not to the horse or the jockey. 'It was great, a great performance and Oisin (Murphy) did a nice job on Windlord setting an even pace and he came to the head of the straight and he had a lot of horse. 'For a moment I was thinking 'whoops, this is Ascot and it climbs and have we gone a bit soon'. I wasn't watching him, I was looking back as you always have to do here, but fortunately none of the dangers were coming to get him. 'He always impressed as a two-year-old but he was a big boy and slightly outgrew himself. We ran him in France which was a mistake in itself and I should have run him in the Dewhurst and I regret that. But this year he has been exemplary in everything he has done and he's a pleasure to train because he is a pretty relaxed character.' Gosden admitted the Irish 2,000 Guineas had not originally been part of Field Of Gold's intended campaign, which could influence where the colt heads next. He added: 'It was never the plan to go to Ireland and he's had a trial and two Guineas and now this which is a lot of racing and we're not even halfway through the season yet. 'Maybe (we'll) freshen him up now and go to the Sussex, but we will see. If we hadn't gone to Ireland, I would have been keen to go to the Eclipse. 'When they win like that and make it look easy they do take a lot out of themselves and I don't want to be someone seen running him back quick in an Eclipse straight off the back of this.' For Juddmonte's new retained rider it capped a fine first week in the hot seat for the Abdullah family, with the six-time Irish champion in no doubt he is in a privileged position, handed the reins to an exceptional talent. Keane said: 'He's a special horse and I'm lucky enough to join this team and to have a horse like him early on is amazing. I've had nothing compared to this and it's very special. 'He just proved what he did at the Curragh wasn't a mistake and it's similar to revving a motorbike, when you ask him it's instant. 'Without a doubt he's the best I've ridden. The next best would be Siskin who was in the same colours, but this lad is a level above, he's very special. 'I'm in a very privileged position to be in these colours and getting a horse like him is unbelievable. That was utterly sublime, Field Of Gold with a wow moment at #RoyalAscot — Adam Morgan (@Adam_Morgs) June 17, 2025 'I wasn't nervous, but there was plenty of anticipation and it was a very good renewal of the race. It was three Guineas winners taking each other on, but he's won like a very good horse. 'Ideally I would have liked to have been carried further into the race as he will only do so much once he got there. I didn't want to be a sitting duck there for them to catch me, but once he quickened up I thought they will do well to catch me. 'I couldn't wish for a better start, but when you're riding for this operation and this is the quality of horse you get, these are the opportunities you get and it's very special but also a bit of relief. 'He's following in the right footsteps and he just seems to be a horse who is getting better with racing and you can see the way he relaxes now. I'm just the man fortunate enough to be stepping in on him at the right time.' The writing was on the wall early for Ruling Court who never looked likely to confirm form with Field Of Gold. 'William (Buick) said he was never really travelling comfortably and at this level you need to be able to get up there and travel on the bridle to give your horse a breather,' said Charlie Appleby. 'It might be a bit too soon to say we'll be looking at an Eclipse but working back from the Juddmonte will be the most likely target.' Aidan O'Brien indicated Henri Matisse would likely stick at a mile.
