Haatem Charges into 2,000 Guineas Contention with Dominant Craven Stakes Victory
Under the expert guidance of Sean Levey, Haatem impresses with a mile-long triumph, sharply cutting his odds for the upcoming 2,000 Guineas Classic.
Haatem catapulted into the 2,000 Guineas spotlight with a commanding victory in the Craven Stakes, guided by jockey Sean Levey. Having won the Group 2 Vintage Stakes as a two-year-old, the Phoenix Of Spain progeny flourished when stretched to a mile, decisively pulling away from his competitors in the closing stretch. Following this performance, the odds set by Betfair Sportsbook and Paddy Power for Haatem in next month's 2,000 Guineas—held over the same course and distance—were sharply reduced to 20-1 from 100-1. Coral also adjusted their odds, now offering 25-1, down from 66-1, for the season's inaugural Classic.
Sean Levey, speaking with ITV Racing, expressed his satisfaction with Haatem's maturity and demeanor: "He's quite a big chap, but has such a good mind and didn't miss a dance last year," Levey noted. "That was very professional and we were hoping for a performance like that. He works with decent horses at home but keeps a few cards under his sleeve. You've got to be impressed with that."
Reflecting on the previous year, Levey added, "I thought he had good form last year and he did win the Vintage. He's never been a slouch by any means and he picked up nicely all the way to the line." Despite racing nine times as a two-year-old, Haatem had been outpaced by a total of 15 lengths in two races against the favored 2,000 Guineas contender, City Of Troy, in both the Superlative Stakes and the Dewhurst. Now, Haatem is poised to join a formidable Newmarket contingent for trainer Richard Hannon in the face-off against the Ballydoyle standout, alongside Group 1 victor Rosallion.
Hannon praised Haatem's capabilities, saying, "He's a good horse, and you have to be to win a Craven like that. I told Sean he'd handle the distance well. You can't dismiss that as an average performance; he looked quite impressive out there. What he's accomplished today certainly makes his Guineas odds seem rather generous."
In the race's aftermath, Eben Shaddad secured second place, three and a half lengths behind, with Sons And Lovers finishing third. Early favorites Native Approach and Alcantor, who showed early eagerness, ultimately faded to fifth and sixth places, respectively.
2000 Guineas Odds
City Of Troy
4/7
Rosallion
5/1
Notable Speech
10/1
Night Raider
12/1
Task Force
14/1
Henry Longfellow
16/1
Haatem
16/1
Ghostwriter
16/1
Alyanaabi
16/1
Iberian
20/1
Ancient Wisdom
20/1
Diego Velazquez
33/1
Johannes Brahms
33/1
Al Musmak
33/1
River Tiber
33/1
Inisherin
33/1
Eben Shaddad
40/1
Bucanero Fuerte
50/1
Ten Bob Tony
50/1
Unquestionable
50/1
Gods Window
50/1
Dancing Gemini
50/1
Kings Gamble
50/1
Boiling Point
66/1
Army Ethos
66/1
Native Approach
66/1
Henry Adams
66/1
Champagne Prince
100/166/1
Clean Energy
100/1
Deira Mile
100/1
Sunway
100/1
The Liffey
100/1
Sons And Lovers
100/1
Grey Charger
100/1
Indian Run
100/1
Devils Point
100/1
Olympic Candle
100/1
Orne
Form: -
100/1
Mister Sketch
100/1
Qazaq
100/1