By Sean Cronin
Sheikh Abdullah Almalek Alsabah's battle-hardened Haatem (Ire) (Phoenix Of Spain {Ire}–Hard Walnut {Ire}, by Cape Cross {Ire}) had twice chased home City Of Troy (Justify) in juvenile pattern races last term and, while tipping his hat to that old foe, threw down a Classic marker of his own with a hugely impressive 3 1/2-length triumph in Thursday's one-mile G3 bet365 Craven S. at Newmarket.
The Richard Hannon trainee broke on the front end and was restrained to accept a tow in an overall third before inching into second passing halfway. Thundering forward to seize control approaching the quarter-mile marker, the 17-2 chance surged clear in taking fashion up the hill to easily outpoint G1 Dewhurst S. third Eben Shaddad (Calyx {GB}) by daylight.
Jane Chapple-Hyam's once-raced trainee Sons And Lovers (GB) (Study Of Man {Ire}) ran on well in the closing stages and finished 2 1/4 lengths adrift in third. Baron Eduoard de Rothschild's G3 Prix Thomas Bryon victor and G1 Criterium International runner-up Alcantor (Fr) (New Bay {GB}) raced too freely through the early fractions, making little impression at the business end, and crossed the line in sixth.
Haatem had already made three visits to the track before running fifth in Royal Ascot's G2 Coventry S. and was City Of Troy's closest pursuer when a 6 1/2-length second in July's G2 Superlative S. at Newmarket. Back on song for Goodwood's G2 Vintage S. next time, he ran unplaced in two subsequent Group 2 contests and closed out a nine-race freshman campaign with a fifth behind City Of Troy, once more, and Eben Shaddad in October's G1 Dewhurst S. over the final seven furlongs of this Rowley Mile last time.
Haatem wins the bet365 Craven Stakes!
The Phoenix Of Spain colt has plenty of experience from last term and is too good for Eben Sheddad for @rhannonracing at @NewmarketRace.
Both of these colts were well adrift of a certain City Of Troy last year… 👀 pic.twitter.com/u53ufWL9wt
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) April 18, 2024
“The way he did it has surprised me and you can't say that was a fluke,” reflected trainer Richard Hannon after notching a third win in the contest, halfway to Richard senior's haul of six. “He's obviously improved a lot physically and he's a big, strong, impressive horse. He's a good horse and he's just won a Craven by three-and-a-half lengths. He won a Vintage, with the subsequent Champagne winner [Iberian] behind him, and he was fifth in a Dewhurst. I thought he'd get the trip well and it seems the horses who have been making the running all week have been hard to peg back. I know he didn't make the running, but I don't think you can say that is an average performance, he was pretty good there. This is the racecourse, this is where it matters and, on what he has done today, the 25-1 on offer for the 2000 Guineas looks generous to me. We've made no secret about how good we think Rosallion is, but this horse has surprised me in the manner in which he did it. Rosallion is a horse that contains an awful lot of speed, whereas this horse gets the trip extremely well. Rosallion will get the mile and they will both probably run [in the G1 2000 Guineas]. It's nice to have two very good milers on our hands and two with very good chances in the Guineas. One with an exceptional chance and one with a better chance than he had before. Haatem's also in the [G2] German [2000] Guineas and [G1] Irish [2000] Guineas and I think he will be a force to be reckoned with wherever he goes. I'm delighted and the owners are delighted. They deserve it.”
Pedigree Notes
Haatem is the fifth of six foals and one of three scorers out of a dual-winning half-sister to G3 Premio Carlo Vittadini and G3 Premio del Giubileo runner-up Father Frost (Ire) (Rip Van Winkle {Ire}) and Listed Prix Pelleas, Listed Doncaster Mile and Listed Foundation S. placegetter Born To Be Alive (Ire) (Born To Sea {Ire}). His second dam Yaria (Ire) (Danehill), herself a daughter of G1 Phoenix S. runner-up Yara (Ire) (Sri Pekan), is a winning sibling of dual stakes scorer Emirates Gold (Ire) (Royal Applause {GB}), Listed Prix Melisande victrix Yarastar (GB) (Cape Cross {Ire}) and the stakes-placed Yario (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}). Haatem, half-brother to a yearling filly by Inns Of Court (Ire), hails from the family of G1SW sires Homme De Loi (Ire) (Law Society) and Mister Majestic (Ire) (Tumble Wind).
Thursday, Newmarket, Britain
BET365 CRAVEN S.-G3, £85,000, Newmarket, 4-18, 3yo, c/g, 8fT, 1:35.09, gd.
1–HAATEM (IRE), 128, c, 3, by Phoenix Of Spain (Ire)
1st Dam: Hard Walnut (Ire), by Cape Cross (Ire)
2nd Dam: Yaria (Ire), by Danehill
3rd Dam: Yara (Ire), by Sri Pekan
(€28,000 RNA Wlg '21 GOFNO1; 27,000gns Ylg '22 TATOCT). O-Sheikh Abdullah Almalek Alsabah; B-Hyde Park Stud (IRE); T-Richard Hannon; J-Sean Levey. £48,204. Lifetime Record: 10-3-1-2, $263,592. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Eben Shaddad, 128, c, 3, Calyx (GB)–Galileo's Lady, by Galileo (Ire). ($100,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP; €190,000 2yo '23 ARQMAY). O-HRH Prince Faisal Bin Khaled & Najd Stud; B-Charles Fipke (KY); T-John & Thady Gosden. £18,275.
3–Sons And Lovers (GB), 128, c, 3, Study Of Man (Ire)–So In Love (GB), by Smart Strike. 1ST BLACK TYPE; 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. (€40,000 Ylg '22 GOAUYR). O-Hugo Morriss & Kirsten Rausing; B-Kirsten Rausing (GB); T-Jane Chapple-Hyam. £9,146.
Margins: 3HF, 2 1/4, 3/4. Odds: 8.50, 3.33, 28.00.
Also Ran: Cambridge (Ire), Native Approach (GB), Alcantor (Fr), Champagne Prince (GB).
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