Royal Ascot 2024: Khaadem wins Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes again

Khaadem (14-1) made it back-to-back wins in the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes on the final day of Royal Ascot 2024 on Saturday afternoon.

Charlie Hills’ evergreen nine-year-old won the Group 1 feature at massive odds of 80-1 on the fifth and final day of Royal Ascot 12 months ago. And while this wasn’t as much of a shock, he was still sent off at 14-1 and was overlooked by Jamie Spencer, who rode stablemate Mitbaahy, who finished seventh. With Oisin Murphy now in the saddle, Khaadem sat and waited to pounce, traveling very smoothly behind the set mainly passed by Swingalong (14-1), who is trained by Liverpool FC fan Karl Burke.

Khaadem eased through the gap to score a half-length from Swingalong with Mill Stream (9-2) another length and a quarter back in third. Believing, the 3-1 favorite trained by George Boughey, who won the Listad Achilles Stakes at Haydock Park earlier this month and was fourth at five furlongs in the King Charles III Stakes on the opening day of the royal meeting, was fourth again on an extra length. -and half adrift.

Khaadem could now bid to take on the July Cup at Newmarket next month, where he could meet the impressive three-year-old Inisherin, who won the Group One Commonwealth Cup on Friday. Further down the line, he could have a fourth crack at the Betfair Sprint Cup at Haydock in September, a race in which he was fifth behind the Regional last year. The veteran sprinter has been a credit to Connections for so many years, winning the Stewards Cup at Glorious Goodwood in 2019 as well as the Group Two King George Qatar Stakes at the same meeting two years ago. But now he has become the first horse to run back-to-back in the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes in its current form and has become a Group One contest.

Trainer Hills said: “What a horse, to win two of these races plus a Palace House, Stewards’ Cup, King George at Goodwood, he’s a very good horse. Went fantastic there, off the pace, never looked like he was beaten, traveled nicely. I think it’s the first time he’s run here. they went with a strong pace at the front and ride just for fun. He is such a versatile horse. Made the trip over five furlongs two years ago they suited him very well.

“He had a fantastic trip there off the pace and never looked like he was going to be beaten; traveled nicely through the race. He likes the place and it’s the first time he’s had the field, almost since he last ran here. I think the fast pitch is key for him. He had a really good pace up front but travels so well that he made the trip over five furlongs back I just felt there was a different trajectory to run as a good horse over six and it seems to have suited him very good.

“He’s a wonderful horse – you just wouldn’t know! It has a large capacity, but it is different (at home) from day to day. One day he’ll pick up a bridle and you think it’s Nijinksy, the next you think it’s like a platter. He knows more about the game than any of us, I think. He is an extremely talented horse and it has been an absolute pleasure to train him. It’s easy to say after the event, but I’d say last year’s race was probably more competitive than this one. He always looked like he was the winner, I thought. He’s had so many top jockeys on him over the years, this horse – I think Ryan Moore won on him, James Doyle, Jamie Spencer, William Buick. They’ve all sat on it over the years and now another one in Oisin.”

Jockey Murphy, who had his fourth winner in a spectacular week for him in the Berkshires, said: “What an amazing horse. I think he’s eight years old, back-to-back race wins, incredible performance in training at Charlie Hills. and his team, I thought for most of the last two stages he was going to win and I was able to enjoy a lot of speed, especially when he started to slow down he came alive, I just wanted to copy Jamie Spencer from the year last!

Dr Jim Hay, who owns Khaadem with his wife, Mrs Fitri Hay, added: “They never give up. He doesn’t know he’s eight years old. He thinks he has three, or two, or something, and keeps walking. He loves this ground, he loves Ascot and he just goes. Last year I couldn’t believe he was 80-1 – I thought those were the stupidest odds I’d ever seen in my life. Today I think it was 14/1; still pretty good odds for a horse of his ability. You can’t underestimate him. To have a horse running here is a huge privilege; to have a horse win here is unbelievable.”