Al Qareem claims narrow Chaudenay verdict

Karl Burke’s Al Qareem got the British raiding party off to a flying start on Arc weekend at ParisLongchamp with the narrowest of victories in the Qatar Prix Chaudenay.

A winner at Nottingham and York earlier in the year, the Nick Bradley Racing-owned three-year-old went on to finish fourth in the Queen’s Vase at Royal Ascot before suffering a head defeat in Newmarket’s Bahrain Trophy.

Having finished down the field in the Gordon Stakes at Goodwood on his latest appearance, Al Qareem knuckled down in the soft ground under Ryan Moore to get the better of Sober by a nose in the Group Two contest.

Bradley did not make the trip to France but was nonetheless thrilled, saying: “He’s been mega unlucky a few times this year and I’m so delighted to win a big one with him.

“It was my fault at Ascot as I told Clifford (Lee) to make the running on him, but he just did too much and was too free.

“He was a bit unlucky at Newmarket – I think he might have won in another half-furlong – and Goodwood didn’t go to plan, but the form of that race is amazingly strong.”

Considering future plans, Bradley added: “I’ll have to have a good look at the programme book, but he could go to Saudi Arabia and there’s also the Gold Cup on Dubai World Cup night at Meydan.”