Could an eight year old British trained gelding whose win strike rate is just above 25 per cent trouble the best Australian sprinters in the $20 million Everest?
It’s unlikely, but you never know if you never try.
And Charlie Hills, the trainer of double Queen Elizabeth Jubilee Stakes winner Khadem, would love to find out after his gelded son of Dark Angel made it back to back wins in one of Royal Ascot’s premier sprints.
”I think Australia would suit him real good. The pace of the race, the bend, if someone wants to give me a slot I will be there!” Hills declared post race when asked if Sydney in the spring would be a possible target for his star sprinter.
Ridden by Oisin Murphy – who was landing his fourth winner of the meeting – Khadem lay behind the leaders and then powered home in the closing stages to collar the front running filly Swingalong, with the well fancied Mill Stream (trained by Australian Jane Chapple Hyam) third and favourite Believing fourth.
Khadem had caused an 80/1 boilover when winning this race last year in the hands of Jamie Spencer, defeating 15 rivals. This time he was more fancied, but his 14/1 SP would have delighted those who kept the faith that his love for this course and distance would help him to win his first race in 12 months.
The trainer, son of famous English handler Barry Hills, worked at Lindsay Park for the Hayes family when the late Peter Hayes was the license holder, and some of the Australian skill with speed horses has clearly rubbed off.
Not only has he prepared Khadem to win twice at Royal Ascot, but he also handled the best British sprinter in recent years, Baattash, and another champion short course galloper in Muharaar.
”We would certainly like to consider it, of course. I really think that running round a bend would suit him, fast ground, round a turn, it would be ideal for him.”
However the rapidly improving Isle of Jura all but ruled himself out of a tilt at Melbourne’s big Cup races when he landed a convincing victory in the group 2 Hardwicke Stakes over 2400 metres.
The Godolphin bred son of New Approach is now in the hands of young Newmarket trainer George Scott who had suggested earlier in the year that the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups could be on the radar for a horse whom connections say will stay as long as you want him to.
Relishing the faster ground, Isle of Jura punctured a few reputations when he won by more than three lenghs from the French trained Goliath, with the well backed Middle Earth third.
Continuous, last year’s St Leger winner and Arc fifth, was the market elect but ran disappointingly for the Aidan O’Brien/Ryan Moore juggernaut who have, once again, been headliners this week.
Scott said that the manner of the win by a horse with an official BHA rating of 112 would mean he now has to be aimed at the group 1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes in late July, with a top level European campaign thereafter.
O’Brien and Moore provided the most impressive two year old winner of the week when the filly Bedtime Story stamrolled her opposition to win the 1400 metre Chesham Stakes by nine lengths, never looking in any danger once Moore pressed the button. She is now a short priced favourite for next year’s 1000 Guineas.
The tough and consistent Haatem landed another winner for the newly established Wathnan Racing and James Doyle partnership when Doyle got the Richard Hannon trained colt up to win the group 3 Jersey Stakes over 1400 metres.
The three year old was upholding the form of the classic generation, Haatem having run third in the English 2000 Guineas and second in the Irish equivalent at The Curragh at his last two starts, so a win over this shorter trip was well deserved.