Haafhd

St James's Palace Stakes, Ascot

All Time Great Lays

As the 2000 Guineas winner, it was no surprise that the Barry Hills-trained Haafhd should have been favourite for the St James's Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot 2004. Both are races run over a mile and restricted to three-year-old colts, the latter coming six weeks after the former. Rock Of Gibraltar had won both races two years previously, and you would have thought that it made sense that the Guineas winner would be automatic favourite for the St James's Palace.

However, the facts suggested otherwise. With the exception of the freak that was Rock Of Gibraltar, winner of seven Group 1 races in a row, you had to go back eight years before Haafhd to find the last Guineas winner who had even run in the St James’s Palace. That was Mark Of Esteem, who had trailed home in eighth place behind Bijou D’Inde and Ashkalani.

There were two other factors that suggested that perhaps Haafhd was not the 6-4 shot that the market said he was. Firstly, the 2004 renewal of the St James’s Palace was a hot one. In opposition were the French Guineas moral winner and runner-up, Antonius Pius and Diamond Green respectively, Irish Guineas winner and runner-up, Bachelor Duke and Azamour, and German Guineas winner Brunel. Secondly, the ground was flying, probably the fastest ground that Haafhd had ever encountered. While he had won the Washington Singer Stakes on good to firm ground as a juvenile, it was decidedly easy ground at Newmarket when he had put up the best performance of his career to win the Guineas, and he was generally thought to be at his best when there was at least a little bit of cut in the ground.

Haafhd took up a handy position under Richard Hills in the early stages of the 2004 St James’s Palace Stakes, just behind the early pace-setter, the 66-1 shot Able Knight under Kieren Fallon. Hills sent Haafhd on at the top of the home turn, and kicked for home at the two-furlong pole. However, he was quickly challenged on all sides, first by Diamond Green, then by Azamour and lastly by Antonius Pius, who travelled like the winner most of the way up the home straight.

Haafhd was caught and passed about 200 yards out. Antonius Pius didn’t find as much as it looked like he would and it was left to Azamour and Diamond Green to battle it out over the final 100 yards, a battle that Azamour ultimately won. In fairness to Haafhd, he did keep on well and, although he could finish no better than fourth, he was beaten no more than a length and a half by the winner.

Haafhd was well beaten in the Sussex Stakes on his subsequent run, but ended the season and indeed his racing career on a high by winning the Champion Stakes at Newmarket in October 2004 on his favoured soft ground, exacting his revenge on Azamour and numbering the previous year’s Guineas winner Refuse To Bend and that year’s King George winner Doyen among the vanquished.