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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Early Return For Stradivarius in Sagaro

   Following the exploits of stablemate Palace Pier (GB) (Kingman {GB}) on Friday, the onus is on Clarehaven's longer-standing cult hero Stradivarius (Ire) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) to maintain the momentum for John and Thady Gosden in Wednesday's G3 Longines Sagaro S. at Ascot. Out earlier this year with some excess weight to shed ahead of his bid for a dream fourth G1 Gold Cup at the Royal meeting, the 7-year-old will be a warm order back in his favoured arena despite his 2020 campaign tailing off with a disappointing 12th in the course-and-distance G2 QIPCO British Champions Long Distance Cup in October. That uncharacteristic flop came on the back of two attempts at a mile and a half, with a narrow second to Anthony Van Dyck (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in the G2 Prix Foy at ParisLongchamp in September preceding a failed Arc tilt when seventh in deep ground in that  venue's showcase.

John Gosden is keen to stress that Bjorn Nielsen's beloved chestnut will strip fitter after this reintroduction. “He's a bigger, heavier horse this year so he may well need his first race,” he said. “If he needs another race, there's the [G2] Yorkshire Cup, but we'll see. He likes Ascot, obviously, and I feel the trip is right to start him off at two miles. He's a 7-year-old and he's weighing heavier, so to that extent he may need two races before the Gold Cup but we don't know yet. Age is becoming a bit of issue–maybe less so if he was a gelding, but he's a full horse. He seems happy in himself and is his usual vociferous self, so we're looking forward to running him.”

Of the two unplaced efforts that rounded off last season, he added, “Obviously the last two races were both run in exceptionally heavy ground. He wasn't in love with it. There was no pace in the Arc, then they sprinted. He ran very well in the Prix Foy and did nothing wrong before that.”

Successful in this last year when it was transferred to Newcastle's Tapeta, Nayef Road (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) has a third tilt at Stradivarius having finished runner-up in the Gold Cup and the G1 Goodwood Cup. “If Stradivarius comes back in the same form as last year, then he'll be extremely difficult to beat,” commented trainer Mark Johnston, who arguably has three stayers with which to take on the Gosden flag-bearer this year. “We've run some very good horses against Stradivarius and come second. That said, we've got a much stronger team this year and it's going to be very interesting to see. He did have a setback at the end of last season, but he seems to have got over it well and he's ready to run.”

Also on the card which acts as a sighter for certain Royal Ascot races is the G3 QIPCO British Champions Series horseracinghof.com Pavilion S., in which the G1 Middle Park S. hero Supremacy (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}) flexes his muscle ahead of the G1 Commonwealth Cup. Trainer Clive Cox said, “I'm delighted that it's this year and not last, with the chance to have a prep and not go to Ascot first time out. He's done really well, but this is very much his first step back and he comes to himself when it gets a bit warmer. I'm very happy we've got a chance to run on some quick ground. This is his first step back with a penalty. He's a wonderful horse and he's got such an amazing temperament for a sprinter, which is why I'm really pleased we've got a chance to have a trial race in the build-up to Royal Ascot. That is where we're looking for him to come to the boil 100%.”

Click here for the group fields.

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QIPCO British Champions Series Hall of Fame Announced

The QIPCO British Champions Series Hall of Fame, the first official Hall of Fame for British Flat racing honouring the champions of the sport, will be unveiled on Monday, Apr. 26, QIPCO announced on Wednesday.

Marking the 10th year QIPCO has sponsored the British Champions Series which started in 2011, the QIPCO British Champions Series Hall of Fame will immortalise the modern greats of British Flat racing-both human and equine-from 1970 onward. (Click here to view a highlights reel of modern greats). New members of the Hall of Fame will be inducted twice annually during the Flat season-ahead of the QIPCO Guineas Festival at Newmarket in May and in October in advance of the QIPCO British Champions Day at Ascot. The Hall of Fame will exist online, and, in addition to featuring a range of expertly-curated written, pictorial and video content that pay tribute to Hall of Famers, as well as figures of historical importance, will tell racing's story from its beginning in the 17th century to modern day.

Visitors to the site will be able to register their details to receive updates as more Hall of fame content is added, including the inaugural Hall of Fame class prior to the start of the QIPCO Guineas Festival. The site will be updated throughout the summer and fall chronicling some of racing's most important moments and influential figures from the 17th-20th centuries. Visit www.Horseracinghof.com to register.

Sheikh Fahad bin Abdullah Al-Thani, Director of QIPCO Holding, said, “My Brothers and I are passionate about British flat racing and its rich history and heritage which makes it the envy of other racing jurisdictions the world over. We are delighted to announce the QIPCO British Champions Series Hall of Fame, which will honour the tremendous contributions made to British flat racing and will celebrate our most significant and important stars and their achievements.

“When I first got involved in British racing, I was captivated by racing's rich history and I hope that the QIPCO British Champions Series Hall of Fame will engage and excite existing and new fans by shining a light on the sport's most important figures.”

Rod Street, Chief Executive Officer of QIPCO British Champions Series, added, “British Champions Series, which showcases the finest flat racing, is the perfect home for a Hall of Fame. Over the past decade, QIPCO have been dedicated and committed partners of British Racing and our thanks go to them for their support of the QIPCO British Champions Hall of Fame and for helping to make this a reality. Our racing is the best in the world and we are delighted to be able to honour our greats through this exciting new initiative.”

Each Hall of Fame class will be selected from a quartet of categories-horses, jockeys, trainer and major contributors consisting of owners, breeders and other leading figures. Although the total number of inductees per year will remain flexible, at least one horse, jockey and trainer will join the Hall of Fame annually.

The following independent panel of horseracing experts will select the Hall of Fame members for the 2021/2022 classes:

  • Martin Mitchell, Former Tattersalls Bloodstock Director
  • Emma Berry, European Editor, Thoroughbred Daily News
  • Brough Scott, Racing Broadcaster and Journalist
  • Jamie Lynch, Racing Broadcaster and Journalist
  • James Delahooke, International Bloodstock Agent
  • Lydia Hislop, Racing Broadcaster and Journalist
  • Alan Byrne, Editor-in-Chief, Racing Post
  • Ruth Quinn, Racing Director, BHA

There will also be an annual shortlist of horses to be put to the public vote, with the winning horse also joining the Hall of Fame in October each year. Inductees will be honoured with a prestigious medal designed by Asprey to mark their achievement.

Panel member Brough Scott said,”I am really thrilled and honoured to have been asked to be part of the QIPCO British Champions Series Hall of Fame Judging Panel. Most of all because I have long believed in the idea and am really grateful for QIPCO and the British Champions Series to have brought it about. Being inducted into the Hall of Fame will be a true accolade at the pinnacle of the sport and I look forward to the panel's discussions on who is to be honoured in this way.”

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Royal Ascot Purses Increased To $7.13 Million For 2021

Prize money for Royal Ascot 2021 is today announced at £6 million (US$7.13 million) over the week – a 66% increase on the £3.61m (US$4.21m) offered in 2020. The Royal Meeting will take place from June 15 to 19 and the full order of running with race values for the extended program announced in January is available here.

The King George VI & Queen Elizabeth QIPCO Stakes, which takes place in July, will be run for £875,000 (US$1.04m) (2020: £400,000 (US$475,500)).

Guy Henderson, Chief Executive Officer at Ascot Racecourse, said:

“In 2020 we had hoped to offer record prize money of more than £8 million (US$9.51m) at the Royal Meeting. In the event the pandemic made that impossible and we have now spent nearly a year racing behind closed doors with trading income down 80 percent. This year's prize money of £6 million represents 75 percent of what we had originally planned for 2020.

“With restricted attendances in 2021 and pandemic insurance cover no longer available, the business will need to absorb a significant loss this year in order to deliver our wish to support the industry with the most prize money that we can prudently afford. Whilst Covid-19 has knocked back our long term financial trajectory by several years, our aim is to make the largest steps we can towards getting prize money levels back on track as soon as possible.

“Without owners we would have no racing. We are very grateful for their commitment and thank them for their support. We look forward to being able to increase prize money further as soon as it is possible for us to do so.

“We are also very grateful to our official partners, QIPCO and Longines, as well as our official suppliers, sponsors, broadcast partners and betting media partners. All of their support is deeply appreciated.

“We at Ascot much look forward to being able to welcome back our racegoers in June and delivering a special week of racing, both for those who are able to be with us on site and the many millions who will be with us in spirit through our broadcast and digital channels.”

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