Jean-Claude Rouget© Photo Healy Racing
Al Hakeem is Arc-bound again after proving himself to be back in business with a pleasing success in the Prix Gontaut-Biron at Deauville.
Jean-Claude Rouget’s five-year-old has shown glimpses of real talent throughout his career but injury has stalled his progress and left him lightly raced.
Fourth when not too far behind Alpinista in the 2022 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, the horse ran only once the following season before a 427-day absence from the racecourse.
He returned in June to finish second in the Group Three La Coupe at ParisLongchamp, a fine effort after such a break, and headed next to Deauville at the same grade.
Under Cristian Demuro and in the silks of Al Shaqab Racing, the son of Siyouni was always travelling well and did no more than was needed to hit the front on the turn for home and keep on for a cosy half-length success.
“The horse had some problems after his Arc and it took a long time with the valuable assistance of the people at Al Shaqab in England to bring him back,” said Mohamed Al Mansour of Al Shaqab.
“The team at home did a great job getting him back; if it wasn’t for them, we wouldn’t be here today celebrating his win.
“The aim now is obviously the Arc, it would be lovely to get a homebred to win the Arc – that’s the dream.
“It’s all systems go. He’s an amazing horse, very genuine, he’s such a good looker and he just needed time to mature.
“There are a few options, there is the Coupe de Maisons-Laffitte at Longchamp in early September, or we might try the Irish Champion Stakes. There’s a few roads leading to the Arc and he might just go straight there.
“We’ll see how he recovers from this, he has a few options and we’ll leave it to the team to decide, because they’ve done an amazing job so far.”
