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Charlton proud of Kazeem


Roger Charlton has spoken of his pride at seeing Al Kazeem return to his best in Saturday’s QIPCO Champion Stakes at Ascot.

The six-year-old returned to training this season having proved sub-fertile at stud and ran by far his best race when going down all guns blazing to Noble Mission at the Berkshire track.

The trainer told Racing UK: “I’m so pleased for the horse. He’s never given me any concern other than getting him fit and then trying to defy the statistics that it's really unlikely they are going to come back and be at their best.

“I felt slightly that he didn’t really have the respect he deserves going into the race. I don’t back horses very often but I backed him at 100/1 on Betfair and I backed him at 60/1 and 30/1. I could see no reason why he should be that price.

“He was only beaten five-and-a-half lengths in the Arc and as long as he went on the ground I thought he had a chance of getting in the money.

“I didn’t expect him to be able to win so therefore I was proud of him. His Timeform rating suggests he ran as well there as he did in winning the Eclipse."

Charlton feels the horse has improved with racing this term - including that run behind Treve at Longchamp.

“I thought when he came back from France he looked fit for the first time. It’s not a normal thing to run a horse in the Arc then pull him out 13 days later but he was so fresh and so well and moving beautifully and I felt we had nothing to lose," he added.

“I needed to prove he should stay in training another year, which I’m grateful he is, and it’s been a great story.”