Wathnan Racing Star on the Royal Stage: What Next for Winning Quintet?

Qatar Flag Against Bright Sky

Recent years have witnessed the emergence of a new force in British Racing. If there is an owner to challenge the established elite of Godolphin and Coolmore, it is surely Wathnan Racing.

Backed by the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Wathnan Racing only registered as an owner in Britain in 2023. As such, their rise towards the pinnacle of the sport has been little short of remarkable.

Picking up just four wins in that debut 2023 campaign, those numbers shot up to 34 in 2024. Midway through 2025, they are on course to better that tally, with 18 winners already in the books and an ever-expanding roster of talent.

Spectacular Start at Royal Ascot

In common with many of the leading owners in the sport, the biggest meetings of the year mean the most to Wathnan, and few come bigger than the prestigious international showpiece of Royal Ascot.

Targeting the Berkshire bonanza from an early stage, Wathnan made an immediate impact. Whilst only registering four British wins in 2023, two of those successes came at Royal Ascot. Gregory set the ball rolling with a Group 2 win in the Queen’s Vase, before Courage Mon Ami produced the piece de resistance when roaring to Gold Cup triumph. A mere six months after setting foot on British racing shores, Wathnan had made off with the most coveted staying prize of the season.

Wathnan Racing Royal Ascot Winners in 2023

Race Horse Trainer Jockey
Queen’s Vase Gregory John & Thady Gosden Frankie Dettori
Gold Cup Courage Mon Ami John & Thady Gosden Frankie Dettori

Fast forward to 2024, and Wathnan’s increasing scale translated to four Royal Ascot winners – Leovanni (Queen Mary Stakes), Shareholder (Norfolk Stakes), English Oak (Buckingham Palace Stakes), and Haatem (Jersey Stakes). That represented a fine return for any owner, but the lack of a Group 1 win may have rankled a little. However, the impressive operation only waited a year to strike once again in a top-tier event.

Wathnan Racing Royal Ascot Winners in 2024

Race Horse Trainer Jockey
Queen Mary Stakes Leovanni Karl Burke James Doyle
Norfolk Stakes Shareholder Karl Burke James Doyle
Buckingham Palace Stakes English Oak Ed Walker James Doyle
Jersey Stakes Haatem Richard Hannon James Doyle

Five Star Performance at Royal Ascot 2025

Any doubt as to just how highly Wathnan Racing values Royal Ascot was dispelled in the build-up to the 2025 edition. Never ones to rest on their laurels, Wathnan whipped the chequebook out to bolster their team in the weeks preceding the event. That approach paid off in spades, with three of the new additions striking in their respective assignments. Here, we take a look back at the performances of the Wathnan winners and what may be next on the agenda for the star quintet.

Haatem – Wolferton Stakes

Wathnan left it late on the opening day but struck in the final two contests to kick off the meeting with a double. First into the winner’s enclosure was the Richard Hannon-trained Haatem, who shone on his first crack at 1m2f.

Formerly owned by Sheikh Abdullah Almalek Alsabah, Haatem joined Wathnan immediately ahead of the 2025 Royal Ascot Festival. The son of Irish 2,000 Guineas winner Phoenix Of Spain immediately repaid his new owners with a short-head success in the Jersey Stakes. Having confirmed his ability to stay a mile and a quarter, a tilt at the Group 1 Coral-Eclipse Stakes is under consideration for this tenacious performer.

French Master – Copper Horse Stakes

Only switching to the Wathnan silks from those of Normandie Stud Ltd on 11 June 2025, French Master made an immediate impact in this big handicap contest for the stayers. This horse hinted that he may be a little more talented than a handicapper at Goodwood in May. That emphatically looks to be the case now.

The son of Frankel looked to have a lot on his plate turning for home, only to sprout wings when switched wide by James Doyle. Moving level with the leader inside the final furlong, he drew clear to score by a widening two and a half lengths. Looking the ideal sort for the major Cup contests, he may get the chance to test those credentials in the Goodwood Cup at the Qatar Goodwood Festival.

Crimson Advocate – Duke Of Cambridge Stakes

Formerly trained in the US by George Weaver, this John & Thady Gosden filly was no stranger to Royal Ascot success. Making her British debut in the 2023 Queen Mary Stakes, she came out on top by a nose for her former owners.

Liking what they saw, Wathnan stepped in to purchase the filly in the midst of the meeting. Kept to five furlongs for her Royal return in the 2024 King Charles III Stakes, Crimson Advocate trailed home in tenth. However, stepping up to a mile has worked the oracle this season. Arriving on the back of a Listed success at Goodwood, the mount of James McDonald came with a stunning late burst to claim the Group 2 Duke Of Cambridge Stakes by just shy of two lengths.

With a Group 2 in the bag, adding a Group 1 to her CV is the obvious progression. The Prix Rothchild and Falmouth Stakes appeal as likely targets.

Humidity – Chesham Stakes

Following blank days on Thursday and Friday, Wathnan ended the meeting as they had begun with a final day double. Hailing from the yard of Andrew Balding, the ex-Cheveley Park runner Humidity set the ball rolling in the opening Chesham Stakes.


Successful on debut at Newbury and a full brother to 2022 Chesham Stakes winner Holloway Boy, it’s easy to see why Wathnan zeroed in on this huge-striding juvenile. Kicked straight into the lead by James Doyle, Humidity put that stride to good use for an all-the-way one-length triumph. Another probable member of the operations Goodwood team, he looks set to tackle the Group 2 Vintage Stakes. Win that, and he may emerge as a live challenger for the 2026 2,000 Guineas.

Lazzat – Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes

Last but not least, Lazzat provided the cherry on top of an exceptional week when blitzing the field in the big Group 1 six-furlong contest. Another late addition to the team, Lazzat joined Wathnan only three days before the Royal Meeting rolled into action.

Already a Group 1 winner in his French homeland, Lazzat handled his first British outing with aplomb. Bursting into the lead, the four-year-old kept up the speed to swat aside the challenge of Japanese ace Sotono Reve inside the final furlong. Tried at up to a mile, this Territories gelding is at his best at six and seems likely to be set the task of defending his Prix Maurice de Gheest title in August. Longer term, a potential tussle with the world’s highest sprinter, Ka Ying Rising, would provide the most fascinating sprint clash of 2025.