High hopes for Haatef

Connections of Haatef still believe the Danzig colt has the potential to reach the top.

After a fine run to finish fourth in the Dewhurst behind Teofilo on only his second start, he disappointed in the 2000 Guineas for Kevin Prendergast.

But two subsequent confidence-boosting victories have put his career back on track and he holds entries in a host of top races ranging from five furlongs to a mile.

“He’s a little bit of an enigma,” said Angus Gold, racing manager to owner Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum.

“Kevin Prendergast was convinced the ground was too quick for him at Newmarket but it has be said that he was quiet for quite a while afterwards.

“Nothing ever showed up but he wasn’t quite himself for about three weeks afterwards and my gut feeling is that he wasn’t right on the day.

“Kevin told me last week that he is in really good form again now. The ground was desperate when he won last time and Sheikh Hamdan is adamant that we shouldn’t run him in ground that bad again.

“He’s in the Hungerford at Newbury next week which we will have a look at, but we have another horse in there (Per Incanto) so he may not come over,” Gold told At The Races.

“We will look for a seven-furlong race or even a mile as Kevin is convinced that he stays a mile and hopefully we will see the real Haatef.

“Kevin was really pleased with his work over the spring and he has handled enough good horses to know and he felt he was right up there.

“The Desmond Stakes at Leopardstown (August 19) is very much a possibility.”