Not seen since winning the Listed Dubai Duty Free Cup at Newbury last September, Hathal was able to brush off the cobwebs and make a winning comeback with the rain arriving just in time. Tried in the G3 Jersey S. at Royal Ascot last June, the chestnut was 10th in that seven-furlong contest before finishing seventh in Glorious Goodwood's G3 Thoroughbred S. upped to a mile at the end of July. Sent to York for a mile handicap the following month, he was second, beaten 2 1/4 lengths trying to give seven pounds to the eventual G1 Prince of Wales's S. hero My Dream Boat (Ire) (Lord Shanakill) before opening his black-type account back at seven at Newbury in September. Tracking the early leaders here, Hathal looked booked for a place only as Convey set off in isolation down the centre of the straight but his efforts paid off as he overhauled that rival and Mitchum Swagger in the last 50 yards. “He's just had niggling issues and William [Haggas] took his time with him,” explained Alison Begley, representing Al Shaqab Racing. “He's always loved this horse and his patience has paid off. William said when the horse was coming back, the [G1] Queen Elizabeth II [S. at Ascot Oct. 15] would be an end-of-season target. It's probably getting extreme out there, but he does like a bit of cut in the ground.”
A son of the G1 1000 Guineas heroine Sleepytime, Hathal is a half-brother to four black-type performers headed by the G3 Winter Derby-winning sire Gentleman's Deal (Ire). The second dam Alidiva was broodmare of the year in 1997 courtesy of the exploits of Sleepytime and also of her sire sons Ali-Royal (Ire), winner of that year's G1 Sussex S., and Taipan (Ire), who captured the G1 Premio Roma, G1 Europa-Preis and G2 Grand Prix de Deauville in the same season. Her daughter Oonagh Maccool (Ire) (Giant's Causeway) was later of the GII Louisville Breeders' Cup H. and GII Rampart H. before producing two stakes performers herself. Sleepytime's unraced full-sister Sometime (Ire) also established herself as a broodmare of distinction with four black-type performers headed by the G2 Ajax S., G3 Liverpool City Cup and G3 Neville Sellwood S. scorer Somewhat (Dynaformer) and G3 Dee S. winner Art Deco (Ire) (Peintre Celebre). Alidiva's most notable half-sibling is the G1 Prix d'Ispahan and G1 Prix Lupin-winning sire Croco Rouge (Ire). The dam has a yearling colt by Bernardini and a colt foal by Distorted Humor to follow, while she has been bred to Mineshaft for 2007.
Saturday, Haydock, Britain
32RED MILE (SUPERIOR MILE S.)-G3, £63,000, HAY, 9-3, 3yo/up, 8fT, 1:47.15, sf.
1–@HATHAL, 129, c, 4, by Speightstown
1st Dam: Sleepytime (Ire) (G1SW-Eng, $239,946), by Royal Academy
2nd Dam: Alidiva (Ire), by Chief Singer (Ire)
3rd Dam: Alligatrix, by Alleged
($275,000 Ylg '13 KEESEP; 320,000gns 2yo '14 TATBRE). O-Al Shaqab Racing; B-Tenth Street Stables LLC (KY); T-William Haggas; J-Lanfranco Dettori. £35,727. Lifetime Record: 7-3-2-0, $102,082. *1/2 to Gentleman's Deal (Ire) (Danehill), GSW-Eng, $276,549; and Dame Ellen (Elusive Quality), SW-US. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.[bullet ad=”taylor-made-keesep-hip-31″][bullet ad=”taylor-made-tm-for-you”][bullet ad=”kbif-g2g3″][bullet ad=”mandore-purchased-by”][bullet ad=”us-bred-ky-bred-keen-grad”]2–Mitchum Swagger (GB), 129, g, 4, Paco Boy (Ire)–Dont Dili Dali (GB), by Dansili (GB). (40,000gns Wlg '12 TATFOA; 46,000gns Ylg '13 TAOCT). O-Paul Dean & The Mitchum Swagger Partnership; B-Peter Webb & Peter Lay (GB); T-David Lanigan. £13,545.
3–Convey (GB), 129, c, 4, Dansili (GB)–Insinuate, by Mr. Prospector. O-Khalid Abdullah; B-Juddmonte Farms Ltd (GB); T-Sir Michael Stoute. £6,779.
Margins: HD, NK, 2 3/4. Odds: 5.50, 3.50, 7.00.
Also Ran: Custom Cut (Ire), Breton Rock (Ire), First Selection (Spa), Gabrial (Ire), Tupi (Ire). Scratched: Here Comes When (Ire), Master The World (Ire). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
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