After winning the Jersey Stakes, Haatem will now focus on racing over a mile or possibly longer after proving himself in a shorter distance at Royal Ascot. Despite his success in the Craven Stakes and placing in the 2000 Guineas and Irish Guineas, Wathnan Racing decided to drop him back to seven furlongs for the Royal meeting.
Against tough competition, Haatem showed his grit and talent, narrowly defeating Kikkuli to give his owners a satisfying victory. Looking back on the race, Wathnan racing adviser Richard Brown acknowledged the strong field Haatem faced and expressed relief that the plan paid off.
Now, Haatem is expected to return to longer distances and possibly even challenge in Group One races, though the owners hope to avoid facing stablemate Rosallion once again. In the meantime, English Oak, another Wathnan Racing horse, will step up to stakes company after winning the Buckingham Palace Stakes at Ascot.
Trained by Ed Walker, English Oak is set to compete in the World Pool Lennox Stakes at Goodwood, with the July Cup also being considered. Brown is optimistic about English Oak's future prospects in stakes company and looks forward to seeing how he performs in upcoming races.