Angus Gold | Horse Racing Free Tips

Battaash in Good Form For King’s Stand Defense

Shadwell's Battaash (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) is aiming to defend his G1 King's Stand S. title at Royal Ascot and is training well trainer Charlie Hills reports. The 7-year-old gelding is thriving at Hills's yard in Lamborne after recovering from a small fracture sustained in the off season. The bay was undefeated in three starts last term, beginning in with the King's Stand in June, followed by the July 31 G2 King George Qatar S. and the Aug. 21 G1 Coolmore Nunthorpe S.

“Battaash has been back with us a few weeks now,” said Hills. “He's been in training and did a nice swinging canter last week. We're very happy with him. He should get to Ascot. I can't see any reason why he wouldn't.

“Dane O'Neill is coming to sit on him tomorrow morning. He knows him very well so it will be interesting to see what he says.”

Battaash's stablemate Mutasaabeq (GB) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}), who won a novice in October and doubled up at Newmarket in April, has emerged from his seventh-place finish in the G1 QIPCO 2000 Guineas in good order. Named a 'TDN Rising Star' off the back of his April effort, the colt will point to the G3 Jersey S. at Royal Ascot.

“He's absolutely fine. He came out of the race in good form. He's looking well and training nicely,” said Hills. “I'll speak to [racing managers] Angus [Gold] and Richard [Hills] to draw up a plan, but I'd say the Jersey looks favourite.”

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Mutasaabeq To Be Added To Guineas

Shadwell Estates's Mutasaabeq (GB) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}), who earned 'TDN Rising Star' status with a six-length conditions win at Newmarket's Craven meeting on Apr. 13, is set to be supplemented for the G1 2000 Guineas on Monday. The Guineas takes place at Newmarket on Saturday.

“As long as all is well with the horse [Monday] morning, we will supplement him,” said Angus Gold, Shadwell's racing manager. “We've been thinking about it. We didn't put him in at the first stage because we thought it might come a bit quick for him. Mentally he was always a fizzy horse, but the team did a great job to keep a lid on him. Then he won first time out at Newmarket late in the season.”

“Obviously he was impressive when he won there the other day,” Gold added. “It's impossible to say what he beat, but the way he did it was visually impressive and he ran right to the top of the hill and Jim [Crowley] said he would have no problems going a mile. I saw the horse a few days later and he seems to have taken that race particularly well. He seems very relaxed at home. Dane O'Neill rode him a little half-speed yesterday and said he felt in great form. I spoke to Sheikh Hamdan's family to discuss the options and they said they would like to supplement him.”

Mutasaabeq is trained by Charlie Hills and is out of the late Sheikh Hamdan's G1 1000 Guineas winner Ghanaati (Giant's Causeway). Ghanaati is a granddaughter of one of Sheikh Hamdan's foundation mares, Height Of Fashion (Fr) (Bustino {GB}).

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Battaash’s King’s Stand Bid In Jeopardy

Battaash (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire})'s bid to defend his G1 King's Stand S. title could be in jeopardy, with the 7-year-old's return to trainer Charlie Hills's yard delayed after he picked up an injury while wintering at Shadwell.

Battaash sustained a small fracture over the winter, however he is back cantering and is expected to return to Hills in a matter of weeks.

“He just had a tiny little fracture in a joint during the winter and we've had to give him plenty of time off. He's had a pin put in it,” said Angus Gold, Shadwell's racing manager. “He's been back cantering for five weeks now and he seems fine at the moment and we will give him two more weeks cantering there and then, all being well, he will go back into training at that stage. Obviously the horse's welfare is our main concern.

“He'll be a month later going into training than normal, but [the late] Sheikh Hamdan did say to try him again as long as he was sound. Because he is going back in later than normal, it's not guaranteed he'll get to Royal Ascot. Hopefully he will, but we will see how he goes when he gets back in. He's seven years old and we need to make sure he's in one piece.”

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Group 1 Trainer Robert Armstrong Passes Away at 77

Retired trainer Robert Armstrong passed away on Feb. 5 after a brief illness, reported Racing Post. He was 77.

A trainer of champions Moorestyle (GB) (Manacle {GB}) and Never So Bold (GB) (Bold Lad {Ire}), Armstrong trained from his Newmarket base of St Gatien Stables for 27 years until 2000. He was a third-generation trainer after his father and grandfather. In total, his horses won 13 Group 1 races. Sheikh Hamdan utilised Armstrong as a trainer for approximately 15 years until his retirement. One of the notable winners in the Shadwell blue and white was Maroof (Danzig), who saluted in the G1 Queen Elizabeth II S. in 1994.

“It's very sad news,” said Shadwell Racing Manager Angus Gold to Racing Post. “Robert was a wonderful man to me personally and he had a very good relationship with Sheikh Hamdan.

“We enjoyed a lot of good times together and he was a very easy man to deal with. He was a fascinating man to be around and was a very generous host and a great trainer to boot.”

“Mujadil and Mujtahid were probably the best he trained for us as well as Maroof who was an underrated horse. There certainly was no fluke about the way he won the QEII that day.”

Armstrong is survived by his wife Jane, sister Susan Piggott, the wife of legendary jockey Lester Piggott, and nieces Tracy Piggott and Maureen Haggas.

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