New and improved Khaadem fills Battaash's shoes to give Hills fifth King George

Friday: King George Qatar Stakes, Goodwood

The sprint division needed a star following the retirement of four-time King George winner Battaash and a potential candidate emerged from a familiar source when Khaadem finished powerfully to win this Group 2.

Trainer Charlie Hills cut an emotional figure when retiring Battaash last season after the sprinter with the golden shoes failed to show his usual blistering pace when bidding for a record-extending fifth King George.

The loss of any stable star, let alone an 11-time Group winner, is difficult, but when one door closes, another opens, and while Khaadem may never reach the same heights as his predecessor, there was an opening for the role of stable star at the yard and his application was a compelling one.

The performance certainly gained the approval of Hills and his youngest son Eddie, who could be seen clapping the winner home in unison with his dad before running next to the track and trying in vain to keep up with the winner as he finished a neck clear of favourite Raasel under Ryan Moore.

Khaadem holds on grimly from the pursuing pack, led by Raasel (noseband)Credit: Alan Crowhurst (Getty Images)

"He's getting faster with age," said Hills, who won the King George for a record fifth time. "He's taken a while and he's quirky, but he's also very talented. He took it in his stride. He's matured and improved with age.

"We've had so many good memories in this race and Battaash was such a star. It's only been a year since he was retired, but it feels like a lifetime ago. To have horses running well and winning big races here is amazing."

On the track, Khaadem is quick, but his career has been more of a slow burn. The six-year-old finished seventh in the 2019 Commonwealth Cup and won the Stewards' Cup two months later – the day after Battaash won his third King George – before being stepped back up to the highest level.

However, he struggled for consistency in Group 1s and was dropped down in class as a five-year-old, with his only success coming when winning the Listed Scarbrough Stakes at Doncaster. That was enough for connections to again roll the dice at Group level at six and he won the Palace House Stakes at Newmarket in April.

Things appeared to be going smoothly and he lined up in the King's Stand at Royal Ascot last month, but he left behind his jockey in the stalls. Still, it was not all bad news as he came closest to catching impressive winner Nature Strip.

"He came out without a jockey but made up a lot of ground to finish with Nature Strip," said Hills, able to see the lighter side of the Ascot faux pas.

"This has been the plan for a while. We obviously knew the track would suit him and he was so relaxed beforehand, which is not like him. I told Ryan to just ride him any way he wanted. He doesn't have to make all."

Three years after his first foray into Group 1 company, Khaadem will once again be stepped up in grade, and he was cut to 10-1 (from 20-1) by Paddy Power for the Nunthorpe Stakes, a race Battaash won in 2019 and 2020.

"He's growing up and putting his races together. We have to go to the top level and will now look at the Nunthorpe and Prix de l'Abbaye," said Hills.

Khaadem and Ryan Moore return to the winner's spot after their victory in the King GeorgeCredit: Mark Cranham (racingpost.com/photos)

That will be music to the ears of Jim and Fitri Hay, who bought the winner from Shadwell in January before two starts in Dubai. It has been a week to remember for the owners, whose Royal Scotsman won the Richmond Stakes on Thursday. The couple also had Equilateral finish eighth in this race.

"Khaadem is a special animal," said Jim Hay. "We adore Equilateral, and if you asked me this morning I wouldn't have been able to split the two.

"He was drawn in stall one and Kieran Shoemark did what we asked him to do, which was to drag the other runners over to the far rail with him. That didn't quite work out for Ryan as it left a gap so he went a bit early."

The fast-finishing Raasel capitalised on that gap, and trainer Mick Appleby said: "He's run a blinder. James [Doyle] said he got a bit unbalanced at halfway, but he finished the race well. We're far from disappointed."

Read these next:

Desert Crown's Arc bid in major doubt as connections look to next year

Fallon ban for 'sustained incident of abusive language' says BHA after criticism

New customer offer. Place a £10 Sportsbook bet on any horseracing market between July 25-29 at minimum odds 1/5 (1.2) and get £40 in free bets on bet settlement. Valid for 30 days. Only deposits via cards will qualify (Apple Pay deposits excluded). T&Cs apply. Please gamble responsibly.