My 5-1 tip can fly home at Haydock… and the curious case of Wathnan and Haatem

SO having been told all season how well he stays the Classic-placed Haatem will now be dropped in trip at Royal Ascot. It’s a funny old game!

Most of you will be aware by now that the Qatari group Wathnan Racing have been splashing the cash this week.

Because we only deal with spokes people for Wathnan, none of us really know what satisfaction the Emir of Qatar is getting from buying ready made horses or indeed what his end game is meant to look like.

What we do all know is that if the Emir wants to he can snap up any horse that is for sale.

This week Wathnan – who last season bought Ascot Gold Cup hero Courage Mon Ami – purchased Haatem from Sheikh Abdullah Almalek Alsabah, a man who hardly needs a few extra quid.

My Saturday NAP

Knightswood (2.25 Haydock)

Was nearest finish on last run and a promising third – mark has been left alone for this and can go close.

Haatem has always been a decent horse, landing the Vintage Stakes at Glorious Goodwood as a juvenile. He ended up fifth behind the champion youngster City of Troy in the Dewhurst.

This term, however, Haatem has come into his own in three runs over a mile landing the Craven at Newmarket before finishing third in the 2000 Guineas and a narrow second to stable companion Rosallion in the Irish equivalent.

After the Craven, his trainer Richard Hannon revealed: “I said to Sean (Levey) that I thought he would get the trip very well.”

That’s not all. Following his Curragh performance, Hannon said: “I just love him, he’s really smashing and a pleasure to have. His day will come. I think he will stay further.”

So what do Wathnan do? They decide to drop Haatem back to seven furlongs in the Jersey Stakes at Royal Ascot.

Now of course Haatem might outclass the Jersey field, as it’s a huge drop in class from Group 1 company. So the trip might become irrelevant.

But don’t you find the decision a bit odd?

It’s possible, of course, that the new connections think Haatem will struggle to win a Group 1 contest over a mile, so they feel the St James’s Palace Stakes is pointless.

They may well be right.

Equally, though, the Jersey will be no gimme.

Perhaps in all this we actually see what the end game is for the Emir of Qatar.

And that is simply trying to win anything – and gain the publicity and glory that comes with that – on racing’s world stage at a meeting like Royal Ascot. Whatever the cost.

Haatem is sure to be fancied for the Jersey and the market is often a good guide to the contest with eight of the last ten winners having been priced at 8-1 or lower.

I’m hoping the Craven runner-up Eben Shaddad will be in the line-up for John & Thady Gosden.

I have a feeling the Poulains seventh would be a decent eachway bet back in trip and he was third in the Dewhurst and in front of Haatem. Time will tell.

Royal Ascot gets under way a week on Tuesday, and I’m in a privileged position to be part of a massive ITV Racing team that will be on track.

There is always a slight lull before the Ascot storm and that’s certainly the case today, but there is no doubt many eyes will be glued to the Group 1 Nunthorpe hero Live in the Dream who is back in action at Haydock in the Listed Betfred Passionate About Sport Achilles Stakes.

The Live in the Dream story is one of the most enjoyable in the sport right now, and it’s magical that trainer Adam West and enthusiastic owners Steve and Jolene de’Lemos have hit the jackpot with a £24,000 purchase.

As well as banging in the Nunthorpe last season, Live in the Dream took his connections to Santa Anita for the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint and he was a fine fourth in that to Nobals.

Live in the Dream returned this season with a close second to Kerdos at today’s track in the Group 2 Temple Stakes where he showed all his usual blistering pace.

On everything we know he really should take all the beating before heading off to defend his crown at York, although a word of warning he won’t want to get hooked up in a speed battle with outsider Tees Spirit who can often start like a scalded cat.

Live in the Dream’s name is a great one for a racehorse. It’s what we all do in this game.

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