July Cup ‘obvious’ assignment for Khaadem

Royal Ascot hero Khaadem is likely to be supplemented for the Pertemps Network July Cup Stakes at Newmarket later this month, as long as conditions remain dry in the lead up to the feature sprinting showdown.

Charlie Hills’ seven-year-old has always threatened to be a high-class speedster and finally landed a long-awaited Group One victory when a shock 80-1 winner of the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes at the Royal meeting.

The son of Dark Angel is reported to have bounced out of his Ascot run well and connections now appear keen to try to strike again while the iron is hot, with the Fitri Hay-owned gelding poised to be added to the line-up for the six-furlong contest on July 15, where opponents could include Commonwealth Cup one-two, Shaquille and Little Big Bear.

“He’s come of of Ascot really well. We haven’t done much with him since, but he’s been cantering and moving nicely,” said Hills.

“It’s taken a while to get the Group One, it was his ninth attempt someone told me. But we’ve always liked him a lot and especially when he won the Stewards’ Cup as a three-year-old, he looked like he was going to be a really good horse. It’s just taken a long time to get to where we are now.

“We didn’t put him in the July Cup, but I would say if it stays dry there is a good possibility he will be supplemented for it.

“There are a couple of three-year-olds coming into the equation now which makes things more intriguing and it will be interesting to see how they do, but it’s mostly similar types of horses that we beat the other day, so I think it’s the obvious race to go for if it does stay dry.

“He loves fast ground so if it does stay dry, we will certainly have a good look at it.”

Also running with distinction in the Hay silks at the Royal meeting was the consistent Equilateral, who finished fifth behind Bradsell in the King’s Stand Stakes.

It was the eight-year-old’s fourth appearance in the opening-day Group One and he will now head to Sandown’s Coral Charge on Saturday looking for more luck than when suffering plenty of interference in sixth behind Raasel in the contest last year.

Hills continued: “He’s always run well at Ascot. He’s been second, he ran well there last year and obviously did well again this year.

“The race he is in this weekend, he was very unlucky in it last year, he never got a run at all. We hope for a bit of better luck this time. He seems in great form with himself.”