Connections of Stewards' Cup winner Khaadem (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) said they believe a lingering foot problem could have contributed to the 3-year-old colt's lacklustre performance in Saturday's G1 Sprint Cup, where he was last of 11 runners behind Hello Youmzain (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}).
“He had a bit of a bruised foot at the end of last week, but he trotted up sound on Friday night and again on Saturday morning, so there was no reason not to run him,” said Angus Gold, racing manager to owner Sheikh Hamdan. “We didn't think beforehand the soft ground would be a problem, but Jim [Crowley] felt he wasn't letting himself down. That may have been down to the foot problem, but unfortunately the horse can't tell us.
“I'm not saying that's the only reason [he disappointed], but I know [trainer Charlie Hills] was very happy with him going into the race and clearly he hasn't run up to his best on the day.”
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