Battaash (Ire) | Horse Racing Free Tips

Battaash Brings Up Amazing Four-Timer For Shadwell

Shadwell had watched the first three races fall their way at York’s Ebor Festival on Friday and so there were more than the usual share of nerves as their flagship Battaash (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) went to post for the G1 Coolmore Nunthorpe S. In the event, he gave the team their most anxious moments of all the races they conquered on the card as he had to graft to subdue yet another flying filly from Michael Dods’s Darlington yard in Que Amoro (Ire) (Es Que Love {Ire}). Finally managing to shake off her attentions in the last 100 yards, the 1-2 favourite earned a length success as Moss Gill (Ire) (No Nay Never) also excelled himself two lengths away in third. The landmark win followed that in the opening handicap of Alfaatik (GB) (Sea the Stars {Ire}), of Enbihaar (Ire) (Redoute’s Choice {Aus}) in the G2 Weatherbys Hamilton Lonsdale Cup and of Minzaal (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}) in the G2 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Gimcrack S. “Relief is the right word,” trainer Charlie Hills commented. “It’s great to see the team do so well–they are all so professional in everything they do and it’s been well rewarded.”

On Battaash’s best days, Jim Crowley has been merely a passenger on Battaash and in all four of his successes in Goodwood’s G2 King George S., his track record-breaking win here 12 months ago, his 2017 G1 Prix de l’Abbaye romp and emotional victory in the June 16 G1 King’s Stand S. at Royal Ascot he has only had to stay in the saddle. This affair, on the softest ground that the 6-year-old has encountered since his tame effort in October’s Abbaye at ParisLongchamp, he was made to engage a long way out by the stand’s rail runner Que Amoro who had previously finished third behind Moss Gill in the course-and-distance Listed City Walls S. Dods conjured two Nunthorpe wins out of Mecca’s Angel (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) and an Abbaye victory out of Mabs Cross (GB) (Dutch Art {GB}) who was also narrowly denied in this in 2018 and for a brief period heading to the furlong pole it looked as if he had produced another giant-killer from his yard.

Battaash had started out up the centre of the track, but Crowley explained afterwards that his less-than-direct passage from halfway was partly due to the prevailing high wind and partly due to the respect shown to the filly. “We went one hell of a gallop and there’s a tailwind, which is blowing across the track towards the stands rail,” he explained. “I tried not to let the leader go too far ahead and fair play to the second, she ran a mighty race and was hard to pass. He doesn’t normally have to battle–he usually has his races won at halfway, but he really had to be a man today and stuck his neck out. He really galloped and tried really hard, so we got it just right. He’s really changed this horse–he took a nice bite going down but he was good at the start and everything was like clockwork. He’s a horse of a lifetime and to get one like this you are lucky.”

Charlie Hills has in mind a return to ParisLongchamp, but does not want the ground to be as soft as last year. “That was tough out there today and experience has probably been what has counted,” he said. “He’s been beaten twice in the past here on ground like that, but he’s grown up mentally and has matured with age. He behaved the best ever today and with conditions like that–the high wind–it can’t be easy for any those horses down there at the start. The obvious route to take is the Abbaye, but if the ground is like it was last year we’d probably avoid it and look elsewhere. I’ll speak to Sheikh Hamdan and we’ll make a plan.”

Whether Battaash is there on Arc day or not, Dods is keen to go there with the runner-up and he said, “She would have preferred faster ground and I didn’t think we’d get that close, so she’s run a blinder. To get that close to a horse like that is a hell of a performance. She’s seriously quick–when she ran here the other month, because the ground had gone a bit, we half-saved her to get home. I said to [jockey] Paul [Mulrennan] to take no prisoners today, to just go, because that’s the only way to ride her. She burns horses off. She’s not in the Abbaye–we decided we wouldn’t put her in and if she ran a big race here we’d supplement her. With what’s going on, we didn’t know what would happen, but that is probably where she’d go.”

Battaash is the first foal out of Anna Law (Ire) (Lawman {Fr}), who is a half-sister to four black-type performers including this operation’s Etlaala (GB) (Selkirk) who captured the G2 Champagne S. and was third in the G1 July Cup. Her other half-sibling Bird Key (GB) (Cadeaux Genereux {GB}) produced another leading sprinter in these silks in the G2 Duke of York S. winner and G1 Diamond Jubilee S. and G1 QIPCO British Champions Sprint S.-placed Tasleet (GB) (Showcasing {GB}). Anna Law also has Phoenix Thoroughbreds’ unraced 3-year-old filly Valletta Gold (Ire) (Gutaifan {Ire}) who is in training with John Quinn, and also the 2-year-old full-sister to Battaash who was bought by Shadwell for 800,000gns at last year’s Tattersalls October Yearling Sale Book 1. She is named Altaayshah (Ire) and is also in training with Charlie Hills.

Friday, York, Britain
COOLMORE NUNTHORPE S.-G1, £250,000, York, 8-21, 2yo/up, 5fT, :57.38, gd.
1–BATTAASH (IRE), 137, g, 6, by Dark Angel (Ire)
1st Dam: Anna Law (Ire), by Lawman (Fr)
2nd Dam: Portelet (GB), by Night Shift
3rd Dam: Noirmant (Ire), by Dominion (GB)
(200,000gns Ylg ’15 TAOCT). O-Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum; B-Ballyphilip Stud (IRE); T-Charles Hills; J-Jim Crowley. £141,775. Lifetime Record: 2x Hwt. Older Horse-Eur at 5-7f, Hwt. 3yo-Fr at 5-7f & G1SW-Fr, 23-13-2-3, $2,260,148. Werk Nick Rating: A+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Que Amoro (Ire), 134, f, 4, Es Que Love (Ire)–Onomatomania, by Mr. Greeley. (28,000gns Ylg ’17 TAOCT). O-P Appleton & Mrs Anne Elliott; B-Rathasker Stud (IRE); T-Michael Dods. £53,750.
3–Moss Gill (Ire), 137, g, 4, No Nay Never–Sharaarah (Ire), by Oasis Dream (GB). (£30,000 RNA Ylg ’17 GOUKPR). O-G Van Cutsem, J Bethell & S Bethell; B-Camas Park & Lynch Bages (IRE); T-James Bethell. £26,900.
Margins: 1, 2, HF. Odds: 0.50, 22.00, 22.00.
Also Ran: A’Ali (Ire), Kurious (GB), Art Power (Ire), Ornate (GB), Emaraaty Ana (GB). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.

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Battaash Cracks the Track Record As he Makes It Four King Georges

His odds were 2-7 and that proved generous as early as halfway as Shadwell’s Battaash (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) pulled off a historic fourth victory in Goodwood’s G2 King George Qatar S. on Friday. Recording his fastest time (55.62) in the race in the process, the G1 Nunthorpe S., G1 King’s Stand S. and G1 Prix de l’Abbaye hero was shadowed by last year’s G1 Prix de l’Abbaye winner Glass Slippers (GB) (Dream Ahead) but was comfortably on top at the line to score by 2 1/4 lengths, with Ornate (GB) (Bahamian Bounty {GB}) a neck away in third as he replicated his position in this 12 months ago. Dragged along by the fastest horse in Europe, the next two home also broke his previous track record.

“He was good, just getting a bit lonely out in front but it’s very hard to find horses quick enough to lead him,” Jim Crowley commented. “He was in front a long way and was just idling, so I had to give him a couple of taps just to keep his mind on the job. He’s so fast and very consistent now. If a horse wants to take him on in a race then good luck to them. He’s so quick he burns them off from halfway.”

Battaash’s achievement in bringing up four wins in this is nothing short of remarkable and history bears that out as fact. Of all the current group 1 and group 2 sprints in operation, he is the only one to garner that amount of successes in the same race with only Fine Art (Fr) bettering it with his five victories in the Prix du Gros Chêne from 1942 to 1946. Post-war, he is out on his own and this was all the more meritorious in that he was slicing a decent fragment off his prior track record on terrain made to measure for his style. There have been very few who could go with him once he had done the damage travelling downhill and it took a fast Australian mare to make any kind of impact as Houtzen (Aus) (I Am Invincible {Aus}) became the sole rival to get within a length of him at the finish of this race last term.

When you are this good, the only one left to beat is yourself and in his younger days Battaash was guilty of doing that on the occasions that his hot temperament got the better of him. Each year, with consistent tender handling and love and attention, he has become ever more the finished article in terms of maturity and now wanders around the parade ring like an old sage. Having finally conquered York’s flat Knavesmire to win the Nunthorpe in August, he annexed a first King’s Stand on his latest start June 16 and has now set this benchmark which is unlikely ever to be met. He does not even need to blast from the outset any more, with Crowley opting to coast through the first 1 1/2 furlongs without the lead as the free-running French raider Ken Colt (Ire) (Kendargent {Fr}) managed to outspeed Ornate.

Charlie Hills was revelling in the moment as he tried to find expression for what he just seen. “He’s so talented and we’re very proud of him. To have a horse like him in the yard at six is amazing, to be involved with him means everything,” he commented. “Four consecutive group twos takes some doing, he’s not the biggest horse in the world but is so fast and well-balanced. He’s a true athlete. Further Flight, who my dad trained, is the only horse to win a pattern race five years on the trot so we might come back next year!”

Hills is looking at the familiar European sprint options now, but was also not ruling out a tilt at the Breeders’ Cup. “He’s not overly-raced and will have maybe two more runs this year,” he added. “We’re looking forward to the [G1] Coolmore Nunthorpe now and then probably the Abbaye, but it’s a strange year and no-one really knows what the future holds. He’ll go on until he tells us he’s not the horse he was today. I love America and it would be tremendously exciting if he did go.”

Kevin Ryan said of Glass Slippers, “She has run a blinder. I thought for a minute she was going to give him a race, but it is a great achievement by Battaash to win this race four years running. I’m delighted with our filly. It is a possibility we could look at the Nunthorpe, but she is in the [G1] Flying Five in Ireland and we wouldn’t mind going back up to six furlongs again in the [G1] Sprint Cup at Haydock. We always planned to run in the Sprint Cup, as she is as effective over six as she is over five furlongs. That could be an interesting race.”

Friday, Goodwood, Britain
KING GEORGE QATAR S.-G2, £125,000, Goodwood, 7-31, 3yo/up, 5fT, :55.62 (NTR), g/f.
1–BATTAASH (IRE), 133, g, 6, by Dark Angel (Ire)
1st Dam: Anna Law (Ire), by Lawman (Fr)
2nd Dam: Portelet (GB), by Night Shift
3rd Dam: Noirmant (Ire), by Dominion (GB)
(200,000gns Ylg ’15 TAOCT). O-Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum; B-Ballyphilip Stud (IRE); T-Charles Hills; J-Jim Crowley. £70,888. Lifetime Record: 2x Hwt. Older Horse-Eur at 5-7f, Hwt. 3yo-Fr at 5-7f & G1SW-Fr, 22-12-2-3, $2,072,804. Werk Nick Rating: A+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Glass Slippers (GB), 125, f, 4, Dream Ahead–Night Gypsy (GB), by Mind Games (GB). O-Bearstone Stud Limited; B-Bearstone Stud Ltd (GB); T-Kevin Ryan. £26,875.
3–Ornate (GB), 128, g, 7, Bahamian Bounty (GB)–Adorn (GB), by Kyllachy (GB). (110,000gns HRA ’17 TATAHI). O-Kings Road Racing Partnership; B-Cheveley Park Stud Ltd (GB); T-David Griffiths. £13,450.
Margins: 2 1/4, NK, 4. Odds: 0.29, 14.00, 100.00.
Also Ran: Liberty Beach (GB), Dubai Station (GB), Ken Colt (Ire), Al Raya (GB). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.

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Battaash Graces Goodwood Friday

Friday of the Qatar Goodwood Festival means Shadwell’s Battaash (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) once again and these cherished days of the history-makers fortunately seem to go on and on. Where Tuesday’s legend Stradivarius (Ire) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) led with a fourth renewal of one of the meeting’s prestige events over two miles, so Charlie Hills’s fireball goes to post for the same tally in the G2 King George Qatar S. over the minimum five furlongs. As strong as ever last time when taking Royal Ascot’s G1 King’s Stand S., the 6-year-old is at home on these Downs and is reported in fine order by his trainer. “Battaash came out of the King’s Stand really well. He has been fresh since then and he goes into Goodwood in similar form to last year,” he said.

“At Ascot, I thought he always looked in command. He travelled sweetly through the race, picked up and won pretty comfortably,” Hills added. “He’s very straightforward these days. We have got a good routine with him now–we have got a good team of people that ride him and look after him. Goodwood is a speed track–you go down a hill and that really plays into his favour. He is so quick mid-race that he tends to get his rivals uncomfortable with the pace he’s going and that is really where it plays into his advantage. For me, he is a horse of a lifetime. He has not been the most straightforward through his career and there have been times earlier on when he was very tricky to manage, but it’s great credit to all the team to have turned him into the superstar he is.”

Third in the King’s Stand, last year’s G3 Molecomb S. winner Liberty Beach (GB) (Cable Bay {Ire}) comes at Battaash again having finished runner-up to A’Ali (Ire) (Society Rock {Ire}) in Sandown’s G3 Coral Charge July 5. She at least gets an extra three pounds from the favourite due to his group 1 penalty and this track will play more to her strengths than Ascot. “I don’t think there was too much wrong with her last run at Sandown. The horse that gave her a lead dropped away and she probably hit the front a bit too soon on a day there was a strong headwind,” trainer John Quinn explained. “It looked like she would go away and win, but the other horse had a bit of cover and was the best horse on the day. The winner has won a group race at the Curragh since, so it looks good form. Our filly is in good order and we know she likes the track. Battaash will be very hard to beat, but we’ll give it a go.”

Last year’s G1 Prix de l’Abbaye winner Glass Slippers (GB) (Dream Ahead) also tries again to beat Battaash, having been fifth in the King’s Stand, and she is one of two Arc day winners on this card alongside One Master (GB) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}). Lael Stable’s dual G1 Prix de la Foret heroine takes a class drop in the G3 Saint Clair Oak Tree S. over the seven-furlong trip that she excels at. Fourth in this from a wide draw in 2018 before she proved herself a top-class performer, the homebred was beaten around a length when fourth in Newmarket’s G1 Falmouth S. July 10 and drawn in one this time should make her class tell. Trainer William Haggas is concerned about potentially fast conditions, however. “I just don’t want the ground to dry out too much for her, but she’s in great form,” he said. “It is a bit of a drop in class, but there are so few seven-furlong races for her. You’ve got the [G2] Hungerford and the [G2] City of York S. coming up, so she’ll go for one or both of those next.”

If One Master has one to worry about, it could be Marc Chan’s 3-year-old Valeria Messalina (Ire) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}), who took the G3 Brownstown S. over this trip at Cork last time July 12. Judging by how well the fellow Jessie Harrington-trained One Voice (Ire) (Poet’s Voice {GB}) performed in the G1 Nassau S. on Thursday, she is worthy of respect with Frankie Dettori on board.

In the G3 Bonhams Thoroughbred S., there could be more cheer for Shadwell as the highly impressive Britannia H. winner Khaloosy (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) steps into pattern company on the back of his 4 1/2-length success in that seemingly-competitive June 18 Royal Ascot contest. He is met by Khalid Abdullah’s 19-length June 27 Newcastle novice winner Tilsit (First Defence) and Sunderland Holding’s six-length July 18 novice scorer My Oberon (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) in an intriguing encounter between potential class acts.

Click here for the group fields.

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Nunthorpe Next Port of Call for The Lir Jet

Royal Ascot hero The Lir Jet (Ire) (Prince of Lir {Ire}), second by only a nose in the G2 Prix Robert Papin at Chantilly on Sunday, will make his next start against elders in the G1 Coolmore Nunthorpe S. in August. Originally campaigned by Nick Bell and trained by Michel Bell, the bay sparkled on debut at Yarmouth on June 3 and was subsequently purchased privately by Sheikh Fahad’s Qatar Racing. The acquisition proved a shrewd one, as The Lir Jet captured the G2 Norfolk S. at Royal Ascot on June 19, still in Bell’s care.

Bell said, “He’s back in the yard and seems none the worse for his exertions, thankfully. I’ve just been talking to Sheikh Fahad and I think we’re going to drop back to five furlongs for the Nunthorpe–that’s the thinking at the moment. Oisin [Murphy] is pretty emphatic that he’s better horse over five furlongs and the form book would suggest that, too.”

Facing the best European sprinters in the Nunthorpe, The Lir Jet will fortunately receive a hefty break in the weights.

“If the Battaash (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) we know turns up, he’ll be a worthy favourite, but if we don’t go there you’d be running somewhere carrying penalties, or running over six furlongs in the G1 Prix Morny, which would mean more travelling,” Bell added. “It’s not set in stone, but Sheikh Fahad’s view is you don’t succeed if you don’t try, which is a good attitude to have.”

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