Haatem wins Mint Millions Invitational Stakes at Kentucky Downs

The Wathnan Racing-owned five-year-old won last summer's Wolferton Stakes and while struggling for form at a similar level earlier this campaign on a domestic front, he came back to form with a hard-fought win in the Grade 3 contest under a determined Jamie Spencer.

Haatem was settled midfield early on in the one-mile event but soon improved to take third around the halfway stage. Spencer made his move on the outside of rivals at the top of the home stretch and booted Haatem to the front.

Lagynos kept closing the gap inside the distance but Haatem had enough in the tank to hold on and score by a neck, pocketing a little over £400,000 for the win.

Spencer said: "I got into a good position. I got off the fence because he's all about rhythm and he likes to get rolling.

"He travelled actually really well into the home turn and I probably produced him a furlong too soon. But once I got to the front, I used my whip and ran out of strokes, but he had his two ears pricked. You could feel the other horse coming to him, but he was never letting him past and he eased up looking at the winning line.

"He's a fantastic horse – I've only ridden him twice – I must thank James Doyle, my friend who would've put me in for the ride, and I've known Richard Brown [Wathnan racing adviser] a long time, so I'm very appreciative to get to ride him.

"When he ran in the Wolferton this time, he never saw any daylight, and he had a little setback before Goodwood, so that was a stepping-stone to here. I wasn't bothered by his recent form because I knew the back form would be more than good enough, if he turned up.

"He was travelling, it's usually not a problem with mine going too soon but I did today!"

Spencer doubled up in the very next race on the card aboard the Johnny Murtagh-trained three-year-old colt Take Charge Star, who had filled the runner-up spot in this year's Jersey Stakes before finishing fourth to Samangan in the Prix Maurice De Gheest on his previous outing.

The well-backed Irish raider (23/10 favourite) took the Mint Franklin-Simpson Stakes, a Grade 2 contest over the extended six furlongs, while there was further European success through the Joseph O'Brien-trained Citrus Springs, who won the Pepsi Kentucky Downs Juvenile Fillies Stakes to follow up her maiden triumph at Gowran last month.

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