Al Kazeem Will Stay Home This Winter

Triple Group 1 hero Al Kazeem (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) will not be heading abroad this winter, with connections planning to prime him for a couple of Group 1 options in the spring. Trainer Roger Charlton and owner John Deer had been mulling possible opportunities in Hong Kong and Dubai after the 6-year-old bounced back to his very best when just edged out by Noble Mission (GB) (Galileo {Ire}) in the Champion S. at Ascot last month. However, they have decided to give the horse, who only returned to training after a failed stud career, a winter break before gearing up for Group 1 events at Longchamp and The Curragh in the early part of next term. The trainer reported Monday on his website, “It has been decided that Al Kazeem will not be going on his travels this winter to Hong Kong or Dubai and he will have a program aimed at the [G1] Prix Ganay and the [G1] Tattersalls Gold Cup which he won in 2012.”