As a foal in November 2005 he was consigned to the Tattersalls sale and was bought for 260,000 guineas by Hamdan Al Maktoum's Shadwell Estate Company.
Aqlaam tracked the leaders before going to the front two furlongs from the finish and despite hanging abruptly to the left he won "readily" by two lengths from Il Warrd.
On 16 June at Royal Ascot the colt produced a much improved effort as he finished third behind Paco Boy and Cesare in the Queen Anne Stakes.
On 11 July at Ascot Aqlaam was made the 15/8 favourite for the Group 2 Summer Mile against six opponents including Cesare and the South African gelding Imbongi.
The colt returned to France on 9 September for the Prix du Moulin at Longchamp Racecourse and started at odds of 7/2 in a nine-runner field.
[12] Seventeen days later the colt contested the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot in which he led for most of the way before being overtaken in the straight and finishing last of the four runners behind Rip Van Winkle.
The stud's director Richard Lancaster said "This is an enormous blow to everyone involved with Aqlaam as it has come just as he was establishing himself as an exciting young stallion.