Royal Ascot | Horse Racing Free Tips

Battaash Greenlighted For Goodwood

Battaash (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) has exited his fourth-place finish in last week's G1 King's Stand S. in good form and is on course to attempt a fifth straight win in Goodwood's G2 King George S. on July 30. The 7-year-old gelding was making his first run since last summer when folding in the late stages after attending a hot pace in the King's Stand.

“He's come out of the race really well actually, he's been cantering away this week and we're really pleased with him,” said trainer Charlie Hills. “They went really fast and with it being first time out it just caught him out. It's a stiff five furlongs at Ascot, it has never really played to his strengths and he just got tired and a bit leg-weary in the last half furlong. He's also there to be shot out when it transpires like that. We'll go to Goodwood now, his races are pretty obvious.”

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Love, Audarya May Face Off Again In July 29 Nassau Stakes

Love and Audarya could lock horns again in the 10-furlong G1 Qatar Nassau Stakes (29 entries) for fillies and mares on Thursday, July 29.

The duo both ran mighty races on their seasonal returns to finish first and second against the boys in the G1 Prince Of Wales's Stakes at Royal Ascot, with Love coming out on top by three-parts of a length.

Audarya was having her first start since providing trainer James Fanshawe with a memorable first Breeders' Cup success in the G1 Filly & Mare Turf at Keeneland in November. The daughter of Wootton Basset also captured the G1 Prix Jean Romanet at Deauville in August.

Fanshawe said: “Audarya has only been doing steady canters since Royal Ascot, but she seems very well.

“The Prince Of Wales's Stakes was her first run of the year, so you are never totally sure what to expect, and the same applied to Love obviously, but I was just really pleased with her performance and the way she has come out of the race.

“She has a couple of other entries beforehand, but the Qatar Nassau Stakes is a really nice race to aim for. Thanks to the support of Qatar, the prize money is fantastic, and it usually throws up a good clash between the three-year-olds and the older fillies and mares.”

Love's trainer Aidan O'Brien has a formidable eight-strong team in total, with Love joined by Classic winners Snowfall, Mother Earth, Joan Of Arc and Empress Josephine.

Snow Lantern (Richard Hannon) could tackle a mile and a quarter for the first time following her encouraging second in the G1 Coronation Stakes, as could G1 Lockinge Stakes runner-up Lady Bowthorpe (William Jarvis).

Ebaiyra (Alain de Royer-Dupre) is the sole French-trained entry following a decisive success in the G2 Prix Corrida at Saint-Cloud in May.

The Qatar Nassau Stakes is part of the British Champions Series.

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Rematch? Both Subjectivist, Stradivarius On Target For Goodwood Cup

Gold Cup hero Subjectivist and four-time Goodwood Cup winner Stradivarius are on course for an eagerly awaited rematch in the G1 Al Shaqab Goodwood Cup (27 entries) on Tuesday, July 27.

Entries were revealed Wednesday for seven races during the Qatar Goodwood Festival, including the two-mile highlight and the G1 Qatar Nassau Stakes.

The Qatar Goodwood Festival runs from Tuesday, July 27 to Saturday, July 31, with the first three days forming part of the Tote World Pool series.

All eyes were on the John & Thady Gosden-trained Stradivarius at Royal Ascot as he attempted to emulate Yeats' record of four Gold Cups, but it was Subjectivist who powered to an emphatic five-length victory as Stradivarius met trouble in running to finish fourth.

Mark Johnston's stable star is building quite a CV, with last week's success coming on the back of equally dominant victories in the G1 Prix Royal-Oak at Longchamp in October and the G2 Dubai Gold Cup at Meydan, UAE, in March.

Johnston has sent out five winners of the Al Shaqab Goodwood Cup, including Double Trigger, who captured the race three times between 1995 and 1998 – a feat surpassed by Stradivarius last year.

Johnston said: “Subjectivist has had a very easy time of it since his run in the Gold Cup. He will have a gradual return back to full work, with the Al Shaqab Goodwood Cup being the next target.

“Looking back at the Gold Cup, it was a very exciting performance. Whichever way you look at it, whether it be the form, the time, the sectional times, the distance he won by, it all points to it being an absolutely top-draw performance.

“In fairness, his win before that in Dubai was very good, but I suppose everybody is generally slightly sceptical of the Dubai form. But at Ascot he has confirmed it by running a very similar race in terms of style. I don't think there are any doubts about the horse now.

“It is well-documented that I love the stayers, and it means a huge amount to me personally to have a horse like this. With horses who run in these big two-mile plus races, the big concern is can you keep them sound, but barring any injuries or problems, he is an extremely exciting horse to have.”

Regarding a rematch with Stradivarius, Johnston added: “I think if you read my blog, you will see that I said, 'Subjectivist was bred by Susan Hearn, Barry Hearn's wife, and if this was another sport, Barry Hearn would be promoting the rematch and we'd all be making a lot of money out of it!' But seriously, a big clash between these two horses at Goodwood will be very good for racing.”

Stradivarius has made the Al Shaqab Goodwood Cup his own since landing the spoils for the first time as a three-year-old in 2017. Bjorn Nielsen's homebred is chasing an unprecedented fifth straight victory, a feat unlikely to be repeated in a race that dates back to 1812.

Other high-profile entries include G2 Yorkshire Cup victor Spanish Mission (Andrew Balding), who was third behind Subjectivist at Royal Ascot, and 2019 St Leger victor Logician (John & Thady Gosden).

Irish trainer Joseph O'Brien has three entries, including Melbourne Cup victor Twilight Payment and prolific G2 Belmont Gold Cup winner Baron Samedi.

The Al Shaqab Goodwood Cup is part of the British Champions Series.

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Palace Pier, Poetic Flare Tied Atop Cartier Horse Of The Year Standings

Royal Ascot winners Palace Pier and Poetic Flare are tied at the top of the Cartier Horse Of The Year standings following their victories at Royal Ascot last week.

The Cartier Racing Awards were established in 1991 to reward excellence in horseracing. There are eight equine awards – the Cartier Horse Of The Year, the Cartier Older Horse, the Cartier Sprinter, the Cartier Stayer, the Cartier Three-Year-Old Colt, the Cartier Three-Year-Old Filly, the Cartier Two-Year-Old Colt and the Cartier Two-Year-Old Filly.

The 31st annual Cartier Racing Awards will be awarded in November. Cartier continues its ongoing support with the presentation of the Cartier Racing Awards.

Both Palace Pier and Poetic Flare currently have 96 points in the Cartier Horse Of The Year standings after establishing themselves as the best milers of their generations.

Four-year-old Palace Pier, trained by John & Thady Gosden for Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum, cemented his status as the world's best older horse over a mile when recording his fourth G1 victory in the Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot on June 15.

Poetic Flare has emerged as the top miler of the Classic crop following a remarkable start to his season for breeder/trainer Jim Bolger that included a stunning success in the G1 St James's Palace Stakes at the Royal Meeting on June 15.

The son of 2012 Cartier Two-Year-Old Colt Dawn Approach had previously run in all three major mile Classics for colts, winning the QIPCO 2000 Guineas, finishing sixth in the Emirates Poule d'Essai des Poulains and going down by a short-head in the Tattersalls Irish 2,000 Guineas.

Other contenders in the Cartier Horse Of The Year standings include the Aidan O'Brien-trained Mother Earth (72), who followed up her QIPCO 1000 Guineas win and Emirates Poule d'Essai des Pouliches second with a third in the G1 Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot on June 18.

St Mark's Basilica (64), owned like Mother Earth by a Coolmore partnership and also trained by Aidan O'Brien, has already established himself as one of the stars of 2021 with victories in the G1 Emirates Poule d'Essai des Poulains and the G1 Qatar Prix du Jockey Club.

Palace Pier, who was crowned last season's Cartier Three-Year-Old Colt, also leads the way in the Cartier Older Horse standings, ahead of G1 Prix d'Ispahan scorer Skalleti (56).

Last year's Cartier Three-Year-Old Filly Love made an impressive return to action at Royal Ascot with victory in the G1 Prince Of Wales's Stakes for Aidan O'Brien and a Coolmore partnership on June 16.

She currently has 48 points in the Cartier Older Horse category, along with stable-companion Broome, who finished second in the G2 Hardwicke Stakes at Royal Ascot on June 19. Helvic Dream, Lady Bowthorpe, Mare Australis and Pyledriver also feature among the early contenders in the same category with 40 points each.

Poetic Flare (96) and St Mark's Basilica (64) lead the Cartier Three-Year-Old Colt category ahead of G1 Cazoo Derby victor Adayar (52).

Mother Earth heads fellow Classic winners Snowfall (56) and Joan Of Arc (56) in the Cartier Three-Year-Old Filly division, with the latter having provided Aidan O'Brien with a historic first success in the G1 Prix de Diane Longines at Chantilly on June 20. Alcohol Free, winner of the G1 Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot on June 18, and G1 Coolmore Prix Saint-Alary heroine Incarville are next on 40 points.

Oxted (40) heads the Cartier Sprinter category following his win in the G1 King's Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot on June 15. American star Campanelle (32) made a triumphant return to action as she was awarded the G1 Commonwealth Cup at the Royal Meeting on June 18 following a stewards' enquiry.

Having filled the runner-up spot for the past two years, Dream Of Dreams (32) recorded a deserved success in the G1 Diamond Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot on June 19, while the David Evans-trained Rohaan (24) continues to be one of the success stories of the season, landing the Wokingham Handicap on his latest start on June 19.

There is a new name atop the Cartier Stayer standings following Subjectivist's win for trainer Mark Johnston in the Gold Cup at Royal Ascot on June 17. The Dr Jim Walker-owned four-year-old has 60 points, ahead of Spanish Mission (28) and Princess Zoe (24) who were third and second in the staying highlight.

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