Aqlaam shines in Summer Mile

Aqlaam repelled the determined challenge of Confront to take top honours in the totesport.com Summer Mile Stakes at Ascot.

The Willie Haggas inmate was sent off the 15-8 favourite, having finished third in the Queen Anne at last month’s Royal meeting, and was always travelling strongly in the hands of Richard Hills.

Long-time leader Confront prove a tough nut to crack, but Aqlaam got on top late in the day to score by half a length, with South African raider Imbongi the same distance away in third.

Hills said: “He’s a good horse but has had a lot of injuries, including two major ones, and has taken a bit of time to get him back. He gets a mile well and I just wanted to get started on him early in the straight.

“We’ve always held him in high regard and if he hadn’t had those injuries he could have been anything.”

The disappointment of the race was Cesare, who was held up at the rear of the field but failed to pick up when the pace quickened into the straight.

Haggas said of the Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum-owned winner: `"This horse fractured a pelvis when winning the Jersey Stakes last year and has taken a long time to come back.

“It’s one of the hardest things in racing to have a talented horse like him and not being able to find the key to him.

“He was working very free early in the spring and ran like that in the Lockinge, but he really pleased me in the Queen Anne – I don’t think I’ve ever been so thrilled to be third.

“Hopefully he will improve again and I really hope he can go forward from here.

“Sheikh Hamdan has Ghanaati going for the Sussex Stakes so I may take him to France for the Prix Jacques le Marois. Longer term, I’d love to come back here for the QEII.”