By Sam Turner -
The Richard Hannon trainee Haatem, well beaten behind City Of Troy in last year’s G1 Dewhurst Stakes, paid the 2000 Guineas favourite a huge compliment by running away with the G3 Craven Stakes at Newmarket in the hands of Sean Levey.
A G2 winner at Goodwood as a juvenile, the son of Phoenix Of Spain relished the step up in trip to 1600m to pull well clear of his rivals in the final furlong.
Eben Shaddad and Kieran Shoemark ran on late in the day to claim second for the John and Thady Gosden operation, but the winner had flown, with the margin three-and-a-half lengths at the line.
"He's quite a big chap, but has such a good mind and didn't miss a dance last year," said Levey.
"That was very professional and we were hoping for a performance like that. He works with decent horses at home but keeps a few cards under his sleeve. You've got to be impressed with that.
"I thought he had good form last year and he did win the Vintage. He's never been a slouch by any means and he picked up nicely all the way to the line."
Godolphin’s Native Approach, a smart winner at Kempton on his previous start for Charlie Appleby, dropped away after racing too keenly.
APPLEBY AND BUICK CONQUER WOOD DITTON
The Appleby operation had struck earlier in the card when First Conquest held on from the fast-finishing Lead Artist to narrowly win the Wood Ditton Maiden Stakes.
The unraced field showed their inexperience beforehand, but First Conquest behaved like a professional allowing rider William Buick to control things on him from the front end, only for the penny to drop with Lead Artist for the Gosden operation late on.
However, First Conquest had his head down on the finishing line to hold on by a nose, with Earl Of Rochester back in third.
A delighted Appleby is eyeing a low-key campaign with his gelded debutant winner.
He said: “He’s been schooled up there at home and is from a family we have known. He worked with a nicer horse that ran well earlier in the week as well so we were confident, barring greenness. He hit the lids and was very professional throughout.
“At the moment I hope he will be a nice, progressive handicapper and stepping up in trip in time he can be a proper mile-and-a-quarter type of horse.
“The thing about the Wood Ditton is years ago when you’d win it you would have to throw them in at the deep end, but now with the change of the programme we can give these horses a chance and let them develop in their own manner.”
An inspired Buick ride saw the strongly fancied Endless Victory narrowly retain his unbeaten record in the EBF Novice Stakes at Newmarket, handing the Buick and Appleby partnership a double on the card.
The son of Teofilo, a winner on debut at Wolverhampton, was forced to dig deep to overhaul Salamanca, but Buick galvanised his mount leaving the Dip and the combination hit the front on the line to score by a hard-fought short head.
RYAN HITS THE HEIGHTS AGAIN
Washington Heights landed a shock success in the G3 Abernant Stakes to enhance trainer Kevin Ryan’s fine record in the sprinting feature.
The Northern handler was continuing an excellent record in the race having won it four times between 2014 and 2018, and his four-year-old, the lowest rated of the field, kicked on in style under Tom Eaves from a wide-margin triumph in Sweden when last seen.
