3 minute read
Roger Charlton feels there is no point in making a long-term plan for Al Kazeem until Saturday's Doom Bar Stakes at Newbury is out of the way.
A real success story of last season, Al Kazeem won the Tattersalls Gold Cup in Ireland, followed up in the Prince of Wales's Stakes at Royal Ascot and confirmed himself as one of the best older middle-distance horses around by winning the Coral-Eclipse.
Not disgraced in the International at York, the Irish Champion Stakes or the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe afterwards, he was bought by the Queen in the hope of being a headline stallion at Sandringham Stud. Unfortunately he only got around 25 mares in foal and a decision was made to send the six-year-old back into training.
Charlton has worked hard in trying to get him fit, but admits the Dubawi entire is still a good deal heavier than his ideal racing weight.
"The ground should be fine for him even if it doesn't rain, they are calling it good to firm, good in places so it's not rattling quick and there is rain around," said Charlton.
"There are no nerves, really, as he's been off a long time. It was May when he came back to us and we've done a lot of work trying to get him fit. He's a big horse anyway. He'll be at least 20 kilos over his ideal racing weight, I'd say, so is bound to benefit from the run.
"We'll just see how he gets on before making any sort of a plan, but all options are later in the year anyway. This just looked an ideal starting point coming when it did at the level that it is and crucially with no penalty for him."
Andre Fabre's representatives should always be given respect and he runs Triple Threat, who took his chance in the Champion Stakes but was last of 10 and in two runs this year he has failed to cut much ice, beaten a long way by Cirrus Des Aigles in the Prix Ganay when last seen.
Fabre will also know all about the Charlie Appleby-trained Vancouverite, who won a Deauville Group Two in his care last year before switching to Appleby and whose last start was in the Dubai World Cup, where he finished eighth.
Further spice is added by last year's Derby fourth Battle Of Marengo. His career has gone in the wrong direction since Epsom. He left Aidan O'Brien and had two runs in Dubai for Ernst Oertel, and now finds himself with David Simcock.
John Gosden's Nabucco, a big improver last year, faces a tough task with a penalty for winning a Listed race, while Mick Channon's Amralah is a horse who has always threatened to win a nice race.
An interesting runner is Luca Cumani's Sir Walter Scott, who has joined from AIdan O'Brien after just two outings.
"We've got to run him as we have nowhere else to go. He should be running in handicaps but he can't. He's not qualified for them as he's only had the two runs. It's a bit technical and complicated, but that's why we're running him. It wouldn't be the race of our choice," said Cumani.
"We've got to run him in order to have him qualified for handicaps. We've had him since the winter. He's fine, he's a sweet horse, but he's not in the same class as Al Kazeem."
Richard Hannon's Baltic Knight is a solid performer in this grade but he is not usually coming up against horses who have won three Group Ones.
"Baltic Knight has been waiting patiently for the weather to change. He has only been out of the frame once in his last six attempts at Listed company, winning one at York, so if the ground does ease he would be a player," said Hannon on his website.