Battaash Back On Track For Ascot

Four weeks after warning that Battaash (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) may miss the chance to defend his title in the G1 King's Stand S. at Royal Ascot, trainer Charlie Hills issued an upbeat bulletin on the 7-year-old gelding on Thursday, saying “at the moment there's no reason why he wouldn't make it [to Ascot].”

Battaash won all three starts last year, taking a fourth consecutive G2 King George S. and a second G1 Nunthorpe S. in addition to the King's Stand, but the Shadwell colourbearer picked up a minor fracture while wintering at his owner's farm and was delayed in returning to Hills's yard. Hills said on Thursday, “He's been back with us a week now and straight away he's settled back into his routine of what he has done for the last few years. I'm really pleased with him.

“He's not backward in his coat, which is nice as it has been pretty cold weather. I'm really pleased with where we are with him actually. His weight is pretty good and he's showing all the same levels of enthusiasm that he always has done, so I'm happy.”

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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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Sensational Invincible Spirit Blueblood A New Rising Star

It may have been one of the 3-year-old contests at Newmarket's Craven meeting that did not carry black-type, but Tuesday's bet365 British EBF Conditions S. witnessed a potential class act that could stand alongside any of this week's established Guineas trial winners as Shadwell's regally-bred Mutasaabeq (GB) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) made all to blitz his rivals and earn TDN Rising Star status. Doing it the other way around when successful over this seven-furlong trip on heavy ground on debut here in October, the son of the G1 1000 Guineas and G1 Coronation S. heroine Ghanaati (Giant's Causeway) was wide awake from the stalls opening this time and on to the rail applying pressure from the front under Jim Crowley. Chased hard by Ballydoyle's race-fit Duke of Mantua (Ire) (No Nay Never) and Godolphin's well-regarded Noble Dynasty (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) passing halfway, the Charlie Hills trainee simply brushed any threat aside and powered up the hill to win by six lengths from the former, who had performed so well in The Curragh's Madrid H. Mar. 21 which is already looking strong form. There was another two lengths back to the heavily-supported Charlie Appleby-trained Noble Dynasty in third and with the time under a second off the track record there was understandably talk of the main event here on May 1.

“He definitely had an advantage being in front here and got a golden highway there a bit, which might have flattered him but I love the way he galloped out and he's very exciting,” Hills said. “He went right to the top of the hill there after the line. Sheikh Hamdan loved his breeding and Ghanaati is now improving as a broodmare, with Afaak (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}) a Royal Ascot winner and this fellow lovely and we also have a 2-year-old by Muhaarar (GB) who looks a beauty as well, so it's good to see. Sheikh Hamdan had been a huge supporter of ours, so it's sad that he is not here to witness that. He's got a great team and we'll speak to the management and discuss what's best. He's a gorgeous horse, we left him out of the 2000 Guineas because we were worried he was mentally immature and we didn't want to rush him, but the way he's trained throughout the spring we can probably now have a discussion about that [supplementing]. He could go for a listed race and then Royal Ascot instead. Ghanaati had her quirks, as a lot of the good ones do, so we wanted to keep lid on him and put a hood on before the start but he was very professional and the more racing he gets the better he should get.”

Like Mutasaabeq, the Barry Hills-trained Ghanaati came to Newmarket in the spring of her Classic year with just a maiden win under her belt but with a substantial reputation and duly won the 1000 Guineas on her seasonal bow. Charlie Hills has been graced with all her progeny so far, with the aforementioned Afaak capturing the 2019 Royal Hunt Cup and the year-younger Wafy (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) going on to win last year's G3 Mahab Al Shimaal when sold to join Satish Seemar, GSW-UAE, $246,592. Mutasaabeq's full-sister Alandalos (GB) was a handicapper who was tried over 10 furlongs, so there is significant hope that this colt could see out a mile on pedigree and the way he surged past the line here can only add ballast to that view.

Ghanaati's dam, the Listed Virginia H. and Listed Oh So Sharp S. winner Sarayir (Mr. Prospector), also produced Mawatheeq (Danzig) who captured the G3 Cumberland Lodge S. and was second in the G1 Champion S., and the smart Rumoush (Rahy) who took the Listed Feilden S. and was third in the G1 Epsom Oaks. She is in turn responsible for four Shadwell black-type performers including the talented G3 City of York S. winner Talaayeb (GB) (Dansili {GB}) who also carried TDN Rising Star status, while she is also connected to the G2 Queen Mary S. winner and G1 1000 Guineas third Maqaasid (GB) (Green Desert) and this month's impressive All-Weather Mile Championships Conditions S. winner Khuzaam (Kitten's Joy) who is believed to be group 1 material by Roger Varian. In the year of the sad passing of his owner-breeder, Mutasaabeq would be a fitting Classic winner descended from the immeasurable Height of Fashion (Fr) (Bustino {GB}) who provided him with so much glory and fulfilment via Nashwan, Nayef and Unfuwain.

3rd-Newmarket, £15,000, Novice, 4-13, 3yo, 7fT, 1:22.66, gd.
MUTASAABEQ (GB), c, 3, by Invincible Spirit (Ire)
     1st Dam: Ghanaati (MG1SW-Eng, $720,406), by Giant's Causeway
     2nd Dam: Sarayir, by Mr. Prospector
     3rd Dam: Height of Fashion (Fr), by Bustino (GB)
Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0, $16,913. O/B-Shadwell Estate Company Limited (GB); T-Charlie Hills. Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.

 

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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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