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Sprint Star Battaash Chasing Repeat Victory In Friday’s Nunthorpe Stakes

Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum's Battaash (IRE) is set to take on seven rivals as he bids to repeat last year's win in the 5-furlong Coolmore Nunthorpe Stakes (G1) at York on Friday. The Nunthorpe Stakes winner will receive an automatic berth into the US$1 million Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (G1) through the international Breeders' Cup Challenge Series.

The Breeders' Cup Challenge is a series of stakes races whose winners receive automatic starting positions and fees paid into a corresponding race of the Breeders' Cup World Championships, which is scheduled to be held at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Ky., on Nov. 6-7.

Battaash, now a 6-year-old, has been better than ever in 2020, gaining a first success at Royal Ascot in the King's Stand Stakes (G1) before setting a new track record when winning the Qatar King George Stakes (G2) at Goodwood for the fourth year in a row. Sheikh Hamdan's retained rider, Jim Crowley, will again be in the saddle.

Battaash's trainer, Charlie Hills, enjoyed Breeders' Cup success with Chriselliam (IRE) in the 2013 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1) and has been delighted with his stable star in the three weeks since Goodwood.

Hills said: “He came out of his Goodwood run in good shape, and we're happy with where we are with him at the moment. Goodwood was a great day, but this game moves on pretty quickly, so you have to come back down to earth. York is a fast track, which obviously suits him.”

The two 3-year-olds in the race, Art Power (IRE) and A'Ali (IRE), are expected to provide the toughest opposition. Art Power, trained locally by Tim Easterby and ridden by former champion jockey Silvestre De Sousa, has won his last four starts, including the Coolmore Sioux Nation Lacken Stakes (G3) in Ireland last month.

A'Ali, a contender in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (G2) last year, won for the fifth time at Group 2 level last month, capturing the Holden Plant Rentals Sapphire Stakes (G2) at the Curragh. The Society Rock (IRE) colt is trained by the father and son team of Simon and Ed Crisford and ridden by William Buick.

Moss Gill (IRE) and Que Amoro (IRE), first and third in the listed John Smith's City Walls Stakes over course and distance last time out, re-oppose, while others lining up at York and looking to earn their place at this year's Breeders' Cup are the Kevin Ryan-trained Emaraaty Ana (GB), veteran sprinter Ornate (GB) and the outsider of the field, Kurious (GB).

As part of the benefits of the Challenge series, the Breeders' Cup will pay the entry fees for the winner of the Coolmore Nunthorpe Stakes to start in the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint, which will be run at 5 1/2 furlongs over the Keeneland turf course. Breeders' Cup also will provide a travel allowance of $40,000 for all starters based outside of North America to compete in the World Championships. The Challenge winner must already be nominated to the Breeders' Cup program or it must be nominated by the Championships' pre-entry deadline of Oct. 26 to receive the rewards.

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Battaash Bests His Own Course Record In King George Qatar Stakes

Outstanding sprinter Battaash (Charlie Hills/Jim Crowley) won the G2 King George Qatar Stakes for the fourth year in succession at Goodwood on Friday. He won the five-furlong contest in a time of 55.62 seconds, a new course record. The previous record was 56.20 seconds, set by Battaash in this race a year ago.

The six-year-old gelding, owned by Hamdan Al Maktoum, was in front after the first two furlongs and never in any serious danger thereafter, coming home two and a quarter lengths to the good of Glass Slippers (Kevin Ryan/Tom Eaves).

Trainer Charlie Hills said: “Battaash is so talented and we are very proud to have a horse like him in the yard.

“He is a six-year-old now and racing is so lucky to have six-year-olds like Battaash, Enable and Stradivarius still doing their stuff.

“Just to be involved in a horse like him just means everything really.

“He has broken his own track record. It is brilliant. Four consecutive Group Twos takes some doing and I am just so proud of him.

“Battaash is not the biggest horse in the world, but he is well-balanced and a true athlete really.

“He might only have two more runs this year and for a six-year-old, he is lightly-raced really.

“We are looking forward to the Nunthorpe now. We'll get that hurdle done and then look at the Abbaye probably. Who knows what is going to happen, it is a strange year and no-one really knows what the future holds.

“We'll keep going until he tells us he is not what he is today.”

Jim Crowley said: “He was good. He was getting a bit lonely out in front. It is really hard to find horses quick enough to lead him and he was in front a long way. He was just idling and I had to give him a couple of taps to keep his mind on the job. He is so fast.

“He is very consistent now and, if a horse wants to take him on a race, good luck to them. He is so quick, he just kicks them off at halfway.

“He broke his own record in the race. It is a great team effort from everyone, from the team who put him in the stalls to Charlie [Hills, trainer], Bob [Grace] who looks after him, Victoria who rides him at home. It has been a great week so far and hopefully it is not finished yet.”

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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.”

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 in training with Charlie Hills.

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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Tilsit Confirmed Thoroughbred Winner After Enquiry

Khalid Abdullah’s Tilsit (First Defence) followed up a June 4 debut second at Newcastle with a breakthrough score–by a whopping 19 lengths–back there June 27 and survived a lengthy stewards’ enquiry to be confirmed the winner of Friday’s G3 Bonhams Thoroughbred S. at Goodwood. The 10-1 chance was steadied to race in third behind a modest tempo set by My Oberon (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) and remained there through halfway in this turf bow. Quickening to launch his challenge at the quarter-mile marker, he edged in front entering the final eighth, but suddenly veered right to force that rival into the far-side fence with 150 yards remaining before returning on an even keel to hit the line with a 1 1/2-length advantage. My Oberon somehow managed to remain upright for second place, finishing 2 1/2 lengths ahead of 4-7 favourite Khaloosy (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) in third. As expected, Ryan Moore was sanctioned for the final-furlong incident which impeded My Oberon and incurred a five-day suspension for careless riding in the debrief.

“Tilsit had two runs at Newcastle, which is a completely different track to Goodwood, and it was his first start on turf so he has really stepped up and done so well,” commented trainer Charlie Hills. “It was a good step forward really and he has beaten two very nice horses. We knew coming into today that we would know where we would stand after the race and we are all very excited now. Tilsit has come a long way and the guys at home have done a great job. [NH jockey] Will Kennedy has been coming in most days to ride and he has done a fantastic job. A lot of thought has gone into this horse. We’ll see how he is tomorrow morning and go from there. We could maybe come back here for the [G2] Celebration Mile.”

Teddy Grimthorpe added, “That was a huge step forward, but he is still very babyish and has to mature. You could see that slightly in the paddock beforehand, but he was much better than he was the previous two times. He has handled the race pretty well, but he did wander a bit, no doubt about that. He has some talent, no question, and I think fast ground is the key to him as well. I think he is still a bit goofy and immature and I wasn’t at all optimistic we would keep the race. He was the best horse, no doubt about that, but it always worries me. Ryan [Moore] had his whip in his right hand, so that was good, and he has just dived in. He was always going to win so from that point of view the rules are spot on, but it is always a nervous moment. This was Tilsit’s first race on turf and part of the learning curve for him, but he is pretty progressive by the looks of things. The Celebration Mile here could be a possibility and it is always nice to have a few thoughts about where we go and what to do. He looks on an upward curve and, trip-wise, I think we will stay at a mile.”

Tilsit is the first of four foals produced by a daughter of G1 Poule d’Essai des Pouliches heroine Zenda (GB) (Zamindar), herself a half-sister to MG1SW sire Oasis Dream (GB) (Green Desert). The homebred bay is a half-brother to the unraced 2-year-old gelding Bilingual (English Channel), a yearling colt by Kitten’s Joy and a 2020 Noble Mission (GB) filly. Zenda, of course, is also the dam of MG1SW sire Kingman (GB) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}), GSW sire Remote (GB) (Dansili {GB}) and G3 Cumberland Lodge S. third First Eleven (GB) (Frankel {GB}). She is also the second dam of this month’s G3 Musidora S. third Ricetta (GB) (Camelot {GB}), GIII Sham S. second Let’s Meet In Rio (Flatter), G2 German 2000 Guineas runner-up Fajjaj (Ire) (Dawn Approach {Ire}) and stakes-winning G2 Gimcrack S. placegetter Repartee (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}), himself last of five in this contest.

Friday, Goodwood, Britain
BONHAMS THOROUGHBRED S.-G3, £50,000, Goodwood, 7-31, 3yo, 8fT, 1:40.46, g/f.
1–TILSIT, 127, c, 3, by First Defence
                1st Dam: Multilingual (GB), by Dansili (GB)
                2nd Dam: Zenda (GB), by Zamindar
                3rd Dam: Hope (Ire), by Dancing Brave
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN; 1ST GROUP WIN. O-Khalid Abdullah; B-Juddmonte Farms Inc (KY); T-Charlie Hills; J-Ryan Moore. £28,355. Lifetime Record: 3-2-1-0, $42,992. Werk Nick Rating: F. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–My Oberon (Ire), 127, c, 3, Dubawi (Ire)–My Titania (Ire), by Sea the Stars (Ire). O/B-Sunderland Holding Inc (IRE); T-William Haggas. £10,750.
3–Khaloosy (Ire), 127, c, 3, Dubawi (Ire)–Elshaadin (GB), by Dalakhani (Ire). O-Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum; B-Shadwell Estate Company Ltd (IRE); T-Roger Varian. £5,380.
Margins: 1HF, 2HF, 2HF. Odds: 10.00, 3.00, 0.57.
Also Ran: Mystery Power (Ire), Repartee (Ire). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.

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