Khaadem

The record tells a straightforward story of a horse built for the big occasion. Four wins from 22 races — roughly 1 in every 5 or 6 outings — sounds modest until you see where those wins have come from. All four have been in the top tier of British racing, the equivalent of a footballer who only scores in cup finals. He won at Newmarket in April 2022, at Goodwood in July 2022, then back-to-back at Ascot in consecutive summers — June 2023 and June 2024. That Ascot record is especially striking: two wins from just three visits. Some horses simply love a track, and Khaadem is one of them.

The ground matters, too. On fast, dry conditions he has won 3 of his 9 races — one in three, which is a remarkable conversion rate at this level. When the ground is in his favour on a course he knows, he becomes a different proposition. His trainer described him ahead of last year's Ascot win as looking "a picture of health" and in just as good form as the year before. The man clearly knows his horse. Hills' yard has sent out 31 winners already this season, so Khaadem is returning to an operation in fine fettle.

The wider adventures add colour. At Del Mar in California, in a Breeders' Cup sprint against what his jockey called "the best sprinters in the world," a then nine-year-old Khaadem finished third. The jockey's verdict — "Khaadem thinks he's two, honestly" — captures something real about the horse. At Sha Tin in Hong Kong, a broken stirrup leather left the jockey riding with one iron and the race effectively lost before it started. A horse with bad luck written into his story at times.

He has not won in 22 months and comes back now after a three-month break. His recent form shows unplaced runs, but a single win interrupts them — and that win was at Ascot. If the ground dries out and the track suits, the question is not whether Khaadem can still do it. He has already proved he can. The question is whether there is one more big day left in him.