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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.

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Mehmas’s Supremacy Lives Up To the Title In the Richmond

With an impressive listed winner already in the bag in Method (Ire), Tally Ho Stud’s Mehmas (Ire) put more distance between himself and his fellow first-season sires on Thursday as the aptly-named Supremacy (Ire) registered a similarly commanding four-length success in Goodwood’s G2 Qatar Richmond S. Off the mark in dynamic fashion in a six-furlong Windsor maiden July 6, the 11-2 shot was placed quickly at the head of affairs by Adam Kirby and found generously in the final furlong to draw away from the 13-8 favourite Yazaman (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}), with Lauded (GB) (Acclamation {GB}) a neck away in third. “He’s quite tall and scopey with a long stride and he can quicken,” Kirby commented. “He ran through the line, so it was a very smart performance. Coming into the race, I really liked him and his maiden win was very good. He is all speed, very, very quick. It almost feels as though you have it easy on him–he has an exceptional cruising speed. I didn’t go out there with all guns blazing and the intention of grabbing the rail, it has just kind of happened at that way and as most people would know on a baby if you have got the rail, it can just help.”

This looked a decent renewal, with two TDN Rising Stars Qaader (Ire) (Night of Thunder {Ire}) and Admiral Nelson (GB) (Kingman {GB}) in attendance as well as the G2 July S. runner-up Yazaman, but Supremacy had matters in hand passing the furlong pole. Clive Cox, who took this race 12 months ago with Golden Horde (Ire) (Lethal Force {Ire}) and also has the G2 Coventry S. winner Nando Parrado (GB) (Kodiac {GB}), said, “Its fabulous we have two top-class horses and you pinch yourself when things go as well as they have done. He was impressive and one of the comments that Adam made coming back down the chute was he is one for next year too. He’s got a wonderful mind and he won in a very fast time at Windsor, so this was soon enough. In a perfect world, I would have liked another week or two but he has done that so well and has taken a big step forward.”

Another inspired purchase by Clive Cox at £65,000 at the 2019 Goffs UK Premier Yearling Sale, Supremacy looked a long way from being this type of animal when a well-beaten sixth on his racecourse bow at Windsor June 16. That was four days before Nando Parrado took his own leap forward from an unplaced effort on debut at the Royal meeting and it is clear that the Cox juveniles are needing their first outings badly in 2020. He had made a huge jump to Windsor and another here to promise more sprinting heydays for this trainer-jockey combination.

The dam Triggers Broom (Ire) (Arcano {Ire}) is a half-sister to Xtension (Ire) (Xaar {GB}), who brought Cox and Kirby to prominence at this meeting in 2009 when taking the G2 Vintage S. Also third in the G1 Dewhurst S. and G1 Prix Jean Prat before joining John Moore, he went on to win two renewals of the G1 Champions Mile in Hong Kong. Xtension’s half-sister Beatrix Potter (Ire) (Cadeaux Genereux {GB}) went on to produce Cox’s best yet in the G1 July Cup and G1 Haydock Sprint Cup hero Harry Angel (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) and also last year’s G2 Mill Reef S. winner Pierre Lapin (Ire) (Cappella Sansevero {GB}). Another of his half-siblings A Huge Dream (Ire) (Refuse To Bend {Ire}) was listed-placed and was later responsible for Mrs Gallagher (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}) who captured the Listed Polonia S. and Listed Lansdown S. The dam’s yearling colt is by Cotai Glory (GB).

Thursday, Goodwood, Britain
QATAR RICHMOND S.-G2, £50,000, Goodwood, 7-30, 2yo, c/g, 6fT, 1:10.13, gd.
1–SUPREMACY (IRE), 126, c, 2, by Mehmas (Ire)
1st Dam: Triggers Broom (Ire), by Arcano (Ire)
2nd Dam: Great Joy (Ire), by Grand Lodge
3rd Dam: Cheese Soup, by Spectacular Bid
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN; 1ST GROUP WIN. (£65,000 Ylg ’19 GOFFPR). O-J Goddard; B-Kangyu International Racing (IRE); T-Clive Cox; J-Adam Kirby. £28,355. Lifetime Record: 3-2-0-0, $42,012. Werk Nick Rating: A++. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Yazaman (Ire), 126, c, 2, Kodiac (GB)–Online Alexander (Ire), by Acclamation (GB). (185,000gns Ylg ’19 TATOCT). O-Sheikh Ahmed Al Maktoum; B-Mountarmstrong Stud. (IRE); T-William Haggas. £10,750.
3–Lauded (GB), 126, c, 2, Acclamation (GB)–Thatsallimsaying (Ire), by Dandy Man (Ire). (24,000gns Wlg ’18 TATFOA; €46,000 Ylg ’19 TIRSEP). O-Al Shaqab Racing & Manor House Racing; B-Whitsbury Manor Stud (GB); T-Tom Dascombe. £5,380.
Margins: 4, NK, 1HF. Odds: 5.50, 1.63, 10.00.
Also Ran: Admiral Nelson (GB), Qaader (Ire), Gussy Mac (Ire), Talbot (Ire). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.

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Nassau Anchors Goodwood Festival on Thursday

It is the turn of the fillies and mares on Thursday, with the G1 Qatar Nassau S. headlining a fascinating third day of the Qatar Goodwood Festival. It features a clash between two fillies whose limits are far from set at present, with Shadwell’s Nazeef (GB) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) taking on the year-younger Fancy Blue (Ire) (Deep Impact {Jpn}). The former steps up from a mile for the first time, having captured the G2 Duke of Cambridge S. at Royal Ascot June 16 and G1 Falmouth S. at Newmarket July 10 in the manner of a filly that will improve for a step up to this 10-furlong trip. Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum’s racing manager Angus Gold said, “She’s been an absolute star this year–it’s lovely to see her not only fulfil the potential, but exceed what we hoped. We were hoping to make her a stakes winner and it’s been a real thrill. Stepping up in trip now will be interesting, but everyone who has ridden her has always felt she would get it. Obviously you never know for sure until they try, but I’m very hopeful she will stay it–the way she has always finished off her races.”

Fancy Blue was runner-up to Peaceful (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in the G1 Irish 1000 Guineas at The Curragh June 13 prior to outbattling Alpine Star (Ire) (Sea the Moon {Ger}) and that rival in Chantilly’s G1 Prix de Diane over 10 1/2 furlongs July 5. While there were four fillies involved in a blanket finish to that Classic, it looked every bit a top-class renewal and trainer Donnacha O’Brien is in accord. “In a tight finish between four horses you can usually mark it down a bit, but they were definitely the right horses involved that day and they pulled clear of the rest of the field, so it looks like very strong form,” he said. “Fancy Blue is very genuine, tries hard and takes her work well,” he added. “She’s a very uncomplicated and talented filly who relaxes and is able to quicken. She gets a mile and a quarter very well and is closely related to High Chaparral, so there’s plenty of stamina in her pedigree and she will probably get a mile and a half in time. There are a great bunch of fillies around at the moment,” Donnacha added. “Among the 3-year-olds you have Love, who looks special, and then of course you’ve got Enable and Magical and a few of the those turning up at Goodwood this week, including ours.”

Last year’s winner Deirdre (Jpn) (Harbinger {GB}) comes back with identical race conditions to suit, but possibly faces tougher opposition and has to reverse the form of the G1 Eclipse S. with the similarly-accomplished international mare Magic Wand (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), having finished 1 1/4 lengths behind that Ballydoyle rival when fifth in the July 5 Sandown feature. Oisin Murphy is again on board and commented, “I think she has improved since her last race and August is always her favourite season. We tried the Eclipse, because Sandown has a long straight and with the COVID situation it has been a little bit tricky to train the horses. We found there that she might struggle with the uphill, now we are heading to the Nassau S. with the long straight and flat course. We understand the great importance of the race, we have seen Midday win three times and we are the only horse to have a chance to win twice in a row.”

Aidan O’Brien has booked Frankie Dettori for Magic Wand, who was electric when taking the Curragh’s G2 Lanwades Stud S., or Ridgewood Pearl, over a mile June 13. “She’s a lovely filly who takes everything in her stride and this looks a nice race for her in the middle of the summer,” the Ballydoyle handler said. “She’s very straightforward and we’re very happy with her.”

Earlier on the card, the G2 Qatar Richmond S. and G2 John Pearce Racing Gordon S. provide ideal build-up to the main event with the Gordon seeing the first post-Derby run of Bjorn Nielsen’s English King (GB) (Camelot {GB}). A lot went against the Ed Walker trainee when fifth in Epsom’s July 4 blue riband, but his ability to handle difficult terrain is well and truly proven having won the June 5 Listed Lingfield Derby Trial and he has quickening ground conditions to aid his cause further. “He’s in great form. The ground should suit, he should handle the track and he hasn’t missed a beat since Epsom,” Walker said. “We will see how it goes at Goodwood, but we would be hoping to go for something like the [G1] Grand Prix de Paris. It is shaping into a great race, but everything seems to be this year because it has all been condensed. Hopefully he can prove to us he deserves to take on the best, but we will certainly learn a bit more this week.”

Re-opposing English King is Ahmad Al Shaikh’s Khalifa Sat (Ire) (Free Eagle {Ire}), who was closest to Epsom’s runaway winner Serpentine (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) when 5 1/2 lengths adrift and he has course form having won the Listed Cocked Hat S. over 11 furlongs June 14. “The course and the drying ground should suit him and all being well, a reproduction of his Epsom form should give him every chance,” trainer Andrew Balding said. Also coming back from the Derby is ‘TDN Rising Star’ Mogul (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), who was sixth behind his ebullient stablemate with Ryan Moore picking him. Aidan O’Brien said, “He seems to have come out of the Derby well and we’ve been very happy with him since. He’s a big, strong, powerful horse who is made like a miler and he’s not the easiest to get fit. He carries weight and we’re just trying to get it off him. We think racing is going to bring out the best in him. We think he gets a mile and a half, but I wouldn’t be surprised if we have to go back in trip.”

In the Richmond, Sheikh Ahmed Al Maktoum’s Yazaman (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) is for once without The Queen’s Tactical (GB) (Toronado {Ire}) for company and looks for compensation for two runner-up efforts behind that peer in the five-furlong Listed Windsor Castle S. June 17 and G2 July S. over this six-furlong trip at Newmarket July 9. Fourth in the July was Shadwell’s ‘TDN Rising Star’ Qaader (Ire) (Night of Thunder {Ire}), who had previously finished runner-up in Royal Ascot’s G2 Coventry S. June 20 when another TDN Rising Star Admiral Nelson (GB) (Kingman {GB}) was only eighth as the 5-2 favourite.

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A Sussex to Savour on Wednesday

With the delayed 2020 turf season now enjoying some kind of equilibrium, the pick of the season’s milers line up for one of the first category-defining moments in Wednesday’s G1 Qatar Sussex S. Of the older brigade, last year’s G1 St James’s Palace S. and G1 Prix du Moulin hero Circus Maximus (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) is an outsider if the betting is to believed at present despite returning to add the June 16 G1 Queen Anne S. to his tally. Out of luck in the Queen Anne but highly impressive in Ascot’s G2 Summer Mile July 11, Shadwell’s Mohaather (GB) (Showcasing {GB}) has put himself front and centre, while the 3-year-olds include the 2000 Guineas heroes Siskin (First Defence) and Kameko (Kitten’s Joy) and the promising Vatican City (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). This is a far cry from some of the weaker editions of recent times and puts the Goodwood feature back on centre stage where it belongs.

With no pacemaker in the field, it is likely that one of Ballydoyle’s Circus Maximus and Wichita (Ire) (No Nay Never) and possibly both will go forward from the outset. The former is used to forcing a battle, having denied Terebellum (Ire) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) in a thriller at the Royal meeting last time, and his best chance will be to try and engage some way out and draw the sting from the likes of Siskin and Mohaather. Kameko, who stayed on past Wichita to take the G1 2000 Guineas at Newmarket June 6, is another who will probably not be ridden for pace in what is a fascinating tactical conundrum.

Kameko’s trainer Andrew Balding has no fears about any lasting effects of his effort when fourth in the July 4 G1 Epsom Derby and has spoken about the constitution of Qatar Racing’s flagbearer on several occasions. Being that this provides an automatic entry into the GI TVG Breeders’ Cup Mile, connections are keen to place a flag in that particular territory. “He won a Guineas over a mile, so it was always the intention to come back down in trip after the Derby,” he said. “I’m looking forward to it and I couldn’t be happier with him. It’s a very strong field, as it should be for one of the championship races of the summer.”

Oisin Murphy has the responsibility of weighing up tactics, but there are very few among his profession better-placed than him to do so. “I’m drawn in stall two next to Siskin, with Mohaather near in four as well. Circus Maximus normally goes forward and Aidan O’Brien could have the first three ‘in the run’ with Wichita normally forwardly-placed and Vatican City a strong stayer at the trip,” he summarised in his pre-race analysis. “This time of year is a good time to take on the older horses, given the weight allowance, and we’ll see what happens.”

Mohaather proved when beating San Donato (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) by 3 3/4 lengths in the Summer Mile that he stays a mile well and has retained all the class that trainer Marcus Tregoning hoped he would despite setbacks along the way. He is awaiting the contest with relish. “It’s not a biggish field and hopefully he’ll run very well,” he said. “In all honesty, it was quite an easy race for him [at Ascot], as it turned out. He cantered the next day and we’ve been happy with him since. It’s a tough order, but I don’t think we could have Mohaather any better and he deserves a crack at it. I don’t see why he won’t handle the track, because he’s a neat horse who travels well and has plenty of speed. Hopefully he’s going to run a big race.”

Khalid Abdullah’s Siskin answered his own doubters when taking the G1 Irish 2000 Guineas at The Curragh June 12 and he had 1 3/4 lengths to spare over Vatican City on that occasion. As the only unbeaten runner in the race, another first to his name will see him enter cherished company and trainer Ger Lyons can only wait and watch now. “On ratings we have to improve, it’s as simple as that–we think he has, but we won’t know until he runs,” he said. “He has to improve to even get close to some of these horses. He is working well at home, but he does need to improve. I think he’ll cope with the track, because he’s pretty straightforward. He’s a very professional horse and if he gets beat it’s because he’s not good enough.”

Aidan O’Brien’s trio are outside the first three in the market, positions not normally customary for representatives of Ballydoyle, and all are there on merit. Of Vatican City, he said, “The Irish Guineas was a funnily-run race–it just became a bit of a mess. It was a little bit of a non-event for Vatican City, who was also having his first run of the year after two very soft runs last year. He’s been to Epsom since and ran respectably, even though he didn’t stay. We think going back to a mile will suit him much better.”

“Circus Maximus will only ever just win–Ryan will tell you, that’s the way he is,” he added. “He’s a very solid miler and a very tough but lazy horse. At home he’d do the same thing, no matter what you work with him, so we don’t really know what his limit is. Wichita is really maturing and he’s a massive horse, so with every month that goes by he’s progressing. Hopefully they’ll all run well. Everyone wants to see the best horses in the race, as it means a lot more to a horse if they win it. It’s exciting that they’re all there and we’re really looking forward to it.”

Even San Donato cannot be discounted, as he was running for the first time since finishing third in the 2019 G1 Poule d’Essai des Poulains last May when chasing home Mohaather at Ascot. “It’s been jolly frustrating that he’s only run twice in the last 20 months, but they’ve been two very good runs,” trainer Roger Varian said. “The winner won well at Ascot that day, but I was delighted with my guy–I thought it was a very good run against some solid group two opposition and I do anticipate him coming forward from that run.”

Goodwood’s only other black-type event is the G3 Markel Insurance Molecomb S., in which Michael O’Callaghan pitches the impressive July 22 Naas maiden scorer Steel Bull (Ire) (Clodovil {Ire}). He encounters Amo Racing Limited’s June 20 G2 Queen Mary S. fourth and July 9 Listed Marygate Fillies’ S. scorer Sardinia Sunset (Ire) (Gutaifan {Ire}) and several other fast and precocious types as he travels across the Irish sea. “He came out of Naas well and it was just like a piece of work for him really–it was no more than a half-speed and he quickened up very well,” O’Callaghan commented. “We’ve always thought a lot of him at home, so it was no surprise to see him win the way he did. I think he could be very, very good. He’s a very fast horse and he should he take a bit of beating, I hope.”

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