Khaadem on course for July Cup date

Royal Ascot victor will head to Newmarket’s sprint highlight next week.

Khaadem will head for the My Pension Expert July Cup after notching up his second Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes success at Royal Ascot.

Charlie Hills’ eight-year-old was a shock 80-1 winner of Jubilee 12 months ago, but he was a much shorter price at 14-1 when triumphing in the hands of Oisin Murphy last month.

He went from Ascot to Newmarket 12 months ago, finishing an honourable fifth to Shaquille – and having shown to be at the peak of his powers during the Royal meeting, will tread the same path provided conditions on the July course remain suitable for the evergreen speedster.

“He’s come out of Ascot very well and it was a great day we all had,” said Hills.

“He loves that track and the race at York really brought him along – he did well to win that as an eight-year-old but he’s looking as well as he’s ever been in his career.

“He’s obviously not done a lot since that race, he’s had a few canters, but he seems in good shape and the ground looks like it is going to stay right for him.

“He will go to Newmarket as long as the ground is right for him. The three-year-olds look good this year, but we will see how we get on against them.”

Meanwhile, Hills is looking forward to returning Cicero’s Gift to the track after over a year on the sidelines.

Cicero's Gift (right) in a gallop on the Rowley Mile
Cicero’s Gift (right) in a gallop on the Rowley Mile (Tim Goode/PA)

An impressive winner of his first three starts, he was somewhat unfortunate to finish down the field in a messy St James’s Palace Stakes when having his sights raised at last year’s Royal Ascot.

That was the last time he raced but he holds an entry for Sandown’s Coral Challenge over a mile this Saturday, with Goodwood’s Regent Seven Seas Cruises Bentinck Conditions Stakes on August 2 another option on Hills’ radar.

“We’re keeping a close eye on the ground (at Sandown) and I wouldn’t want to run him on anything too firm at this stage of his career,” continued Hills.

“There’s a race at Goodwood at the Glorious meeting that looks interesting for him. It’s a conditions race over one-mile-one for horses that have never won a Listed or Group race, so that looks a nice race for him.

“He’s had a long time off, but he’s been training nicely. Physically he has done very well and I think he’s a pretty good horse on his day.

“It’s great to have him back and we have been very patient with him over the winter – he was turned out in the field for a good four months. He’s been a very good patient and given himself every chance to get back.

“Things didn’t go quite right for him last year at Royal Ascot, he got stuck in some traffic and I think he could easily have finished a bit closer.”

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