Haatem enjoyed a deserved day in the sun after clinging on grimly to claim a thrilling renewal of the Jersey Stakes at Royal Ascot.

Winner of the Craven Stakes in April, Richard Hannon’s three-year-old returned to Newmarket to finish third in the 2000 Guineas before finding only his esteemed stablemate Rosallion too strong in the Irish equivalent at the Curragh three weeks later.

With Rosallion having given the form a major boost by landing the St James’s Palace Stakes on Tuesday, Haatem was given his opportunity to shine on the final day of the Royal meeting, carrying the colours of Wathnan Racing for the first time in the hands of James Doyle.

With 13-8 favourite River Tiber finding disappointingly little when push came to shove, Haatem (7-2) moved nicely to the front and looked set to win handsomely after taking a couple of lengths out of the field.

However, the Harry Charlton-trained Kikkuli – half-brother to the mighty Frankel by top sire Kingman – really found his feet late on and the pair passed the post almost as one.

Following a brief wait, the judge confirmed Haatem had held on by a short head, with the Johnny Murtagh-trained Chicago Critic (80-1) in third.

“He’s deserved this. It’s a Group Three, but it’s not, it’s Royal Ascot,” said Hannon.

“He carried a penalty, he got there very easy and he deserved his day in the sun. Hopefully he’ll have plenty more.

“It was a very deep race, there were 20 runners and it was not your normal Jersey.

“It’s great for Wathnan, they bought a lot of horses and it was so important they had success and they’ve earned it.

“There are so many options for him, we’ll travel a bit, there’s a lot of races for him in Australia, France and America, but he’ll go back over a mile, it was a bit of a risk going back down to seven.

“In fairness both James Doyle and Jamie Spencer who have ridden him recently said he’d have no problem dropping down to seven and they were right.

“I don’t think there’s any need for him to take on Rosallion again. I wouldn’t enjoy watching that. I didn’t mind watching the Irish Guineas back afterwards, but it’s not enjoyable at the time.

“He’s a horse that deserves everything he gets. He cost just £27,000, and that says a lot about our sport, a lot of it good. He’s here taking part with a penalty at the top level. It shows it’s possible, which you can’t say about many sports.”

Of Kikkuli, Charlton said: “We’re delighted with him. Oisin (Murphy) said it was a bit of a head up, head down – he rode him to follow Haatem, and James Doyle on a miler started stretching two down. Oisin said he’s run great. It’s a shame to be second twice (after King’s Gambit earlier in the week), but we won’t take anything away from the horse, he’s run great against a hardened Group One horse who’s had a lot more experience than him.

“Barry (Mahon, of Juddmonte) texted me this morning and said, ‘He’s 25-1’, and I said, ‘Well, Karl Burke’s horse that was 5-1 for the Guineas (Night Raider) is bigger than us – it’s a proper race and a there are a lot of 110-plus horses’, and he’s run outstandingly, really.

“Oisin said seven or eight furlongs. I think actually what looked key there was having pace. He travelled probably the best of them; he enjoyed the pace and the quick ground.

“I watched them down at the start and he was probably the one horse not sweating. He’s from an exuberant family, and by Kingman, and this lad is absolutely bombproof.”