Agencies/London


Qatar Racing’s Arod produced a fine front-running performance to land the Group III Investec Diomed Stakes by two lengths at Epsom yesterday.
Arod pulled hard under jockey Andrea Atzeni in the early stages as the pair dictated the pace but he eventually settled into a nice rhythm and looked to be full of running as the field hit the two furlong marker.
The four-year-old found plenty for his jockey when asked and the pair surged clear to record a comfortable success from Custom Cut.
“He’s a horse that doesn’t like to be disappointed,” said Atzeni.
“I had a good stride with him so I just let him go on. I was more like a passenger than anything.
“He deserves it. Trainer Peter Chapple-Hyam and owners Qatar Racing Limited have always liked him and he ran well in the Derby here last year. He was a bit keen in front - I think I went a good one - but he doesn’t stop and stays well. He was by far the best horse in the race so it was good to get his head in front again.”
“I was impressed with the way in which he finished the race. I just let him stretch on. We know he stays a bit further so he was never going to stop in that respect. I knew he was the best horse in the race so I just let him do his thing.
“He is a beautiful looking horse and hopefully there will be a lot more to come from him. He has such a high cruising speed - he will probably stay a mile and a quarter but I think a mile, even a stiff mile, is his trip at the minute.”
Fourth in last year’s Investec Derby, and recently third in Newbury’s Group I Al Shaqab Lockinge Stakes, Arod had just a conditions race victory and a maiden win to his name, despite running several fine races in Stakes company.
Winning trainer Peter Chapple-Hyam said of the four-year-old: “He’s an exuberant horse, as he was at two and three. Last year I was asked to train him for the Investec Derby, which I did do, teaching him to switch off and stay. He did stay, but in doing so I put him over the top after the Derby - and the Juddmonte Stakes was not his true running.
“This year we opted to let him bowl, let him stride, and take him back to a mile. We decided to do that last year after the Juddmonte - it was Sheikh Fahad’s idea, and while I wish I could say it was all my planning, it wasn’t!
“I would like to have a go at a mile and a quarter with him, but that might not happen until the back end of the season. I think he will stay that trip - today he showed a big long stride, but he was always on the bit.
“The Queen Anne at Royal Ascot, over a mile is probably next, but we will only be fifth or sixth best going into that race - if we get a dry time between now and then that would suit and we might be brave.”
David Redvers, racing manager to Qatar Racing Limited, expressed concern that Royal Ascot might come too soon. He said: “It was a bit of a call to come here rather than go straight to Royal Ascot, but we were keen to get his head in front. He deserves this after a huge run in the Lockinge and we know he has the speed for a mile and will possibly stay ten furlongs.
“Today he was very impressive, and it was down to Sheikh Fahad’s insistence that he should use his natural speed that it all worked out perfectly.
“We’ll see how he comes out of the race but Royal Ascot may come too soon - if he’d have won here without coming off the bridle you would have no fear, but this is a tough place to come even if you do win well. Hopefully he’ll be okay, but if not there are other targets later in the season.
“The breeder, Alberto Pannetta, told us we were mad to run him over a mile and a half last year and that his pedigree was much more about a mile. As the family get older they seem to get quicker. At the end of the day I have to provide horses for the big races, and at the time he seemed right for the Derby. Now he’s back on the winning thread I hope he can win a Group One and become an exciting stallion prospect.”