Tag Archive for: Battaash

Brilliant Battaash still has Breeders’ Cup option

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Charlie Hills appears increasingly keen on taking Battaash to America for the Breeders’ Cup Sprint, should all go well in the Prix de l’Abbaye at ParisLongchamp.

The Lambourn trainer reports his crack sprinter to be in tip-top shape ahead of the five-furlong Group One on October 4, and is expecting a big run .

Battaash has been in tremendous form this season, winning all his three starts and hopes are high he can regain the Abbaye crown he lifted in 2017 and make up for defeats in the last two years.

“He’s only had three runs this year. He’s fresh, he’s well and is in great shape. I couldn’t be more pleased will how Battaash is training,” Hills told Sky Sports Racing.

“He looks very proud at what he is doing. His enthusiasm levels are great.

“As long as the ground stays reasonably good for France then that’s where we’ll go.”

Should he head to Keeneland for the Breeders’ Cup on November 7 he would have the chance to make amends for the dramatic defeat of his owner Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum’s Dayjur in 1990, when he jumped a shadow just yards from the post with victory in sight.

“There’s every chance. If he was really impressive in the Abbaye and he’s fit and well we’ll have to speak to Sheikh Hamdan and he’ll make the decision,” said Hills.

“He won at Royal Ascot first time out this year so why can’t he have his first run at Ascot again next year. There are plenty of routes to take.

“Battaash is the most important thing to us – his health and well-being. That is what we’ll train him for.”

‘Golden summer’ continues for Crowley with fabulous York four-timer

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He may not regain his champion jockey crown this year – but it would be a push to argue that since the resumption of racing in June, Jim Crowley has not been the man to follow.

An opening-day treble at Royal Ascot – a meeting at which he rode six winners – has been followed up with big winner after big winner.

The likes of Mohaather, Nazeef, Hukum and of course Battaash have all taken some of the biggest races of the season to date – and the latter formed part of a brilliant 127-1 four-timer on day three of the Ebor meeting at York.

Crowley, a former National Hunt jockey, is approaching his 2,000th career winner and has surely never had it better.

Battaash was the star of the show for Jim Crowley
Battaash was the star of the show for Jim Crowley (Alan Crowhurst/PA)

The day started well on something of a forgotten horse in the mile-and-a-half handicap through John Gosden’s Alfaatik, who began last year in a Derby trial. Gelded over the winter, he looks a different proposition now and stayed on stoutly.

It was then time for the big guns. In the Weatherbys Hamilton Lonsdale Cup there was no Stradivarius – but Gosden still proved the man to follow with the mare Enbihaar.

Already a favourite of Crowley’s, the five-year-old has provided him with five wins now and the hope is she can sign off her career with a so-far elusive Group One win in Paris in October in the Prix de Royallieu.

Crowley said: “She is so tough and she stayed very well. Credit must go to Sheikh Hamdan (owner) because he’s kept her in training and it’s so great she’s been able to repay the faith we have all shown in her.”

From stayers over two miles, Crowley then dropped down to six furlongs to win the Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Gimcrack Stakes on Owen Burrows’ Minzaal.

Sent off the 5-2 favourite after an easy win at Salisbury, the Mehmas youngster looked impressive when coming home two lengths clear of a good field.

Minzaal looked a real star in the making at York
Minzaal looked a real star in the making at York (Alan Crowhurst/PA)

The Middle Park Stakes is next, with the Commonwealth Cup, rather than the Guineas, his aim next year.

“I think he’s all speed, I don’t think he needs to be going further than six furlongs, so we’ll be looking Middle Park rather than Dewhurst and it will be straight there,” said Burrows.

Then it was time for the really big one, the Coolmore Nunthorpe Stakes over five furlongs.

When Battaash won the race last year many said he had put his York hoodoo to bed having flopped there twice before.

Understandably, given he had looked imperious in winning at Royal Ascot and Glorious Goodwood, Battaash was sent off the 1-2 favourite – but while he won, he had to show qualities that might not have been attributed to him before.

Michael Dods’ flying filly Que Amoro made him pull out all the stops and in a howling gale Battaash, who in his younger days was such a tearaway, knuckled down for a scrap and came out on top by a length.

Charlie Hills described the performance as arguably a career-best, taking into account he had plenty of things against him, as he joined an elite list of dual Nunthorpe winners. Only two horses in history have won it more – Tag End and Sharpo.

Jim Crowley was most definitely the man to follow at York
Jim Crowley was most definitely the man to follow at York (Alan Crowhurst/PA)

Crowley said: “He tried very hard. They went a serious gallop, but he was a real man and stuck his head out. In the past he has always won his races at halfway, so fair play to the second horse. He’s an amazing horse.

“We’re lucky to have him about and it’s fantastic for Sheikh Hamdan – he’s a big supporter of racing and has been for a long time and I’m glad I can repay him in some way. It’s been a golden summer.”

Reflecting on the day and the fact he is just two winners away from his 2,000th, he added: “I had some nice rides on paper, but it’s not easy, you’ve still got to win, so it’s been a really good day.

“It’s very special. It’s a top day and I’m very fortunate to be in this position – I get to ride some nice horses and it’s great when it comes off.

“It would be lovely to do (ride his 2,000th winner in the Ebor on Jeremiah). It’s a nice milestone to reach – I never thought I’d get that many when I first came into racing.”

Battaash is Nunthorpe king once more

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Battaash continued his brilliant sprinting CV with a hard-fought victory in defence of his Coolmore Nunthorpe Stakes crown at York.

Charlie Hills’ speedster had to defy rain-softened ground which put hopes of bettering the course record he set last year off the agenda.

He also faced an unexpectedly stern challenge from outsider Que Amoro, before getting firmly on top in the final furlong to land the odds as the 1-2 favourite and see off the 22-1 runner-up by a length.

Jim Crowley was capping an outstanding day in the saddle, completing a four-timer in the first four races – following the victories of Alfaatik, Enbihaar and Minzaal, all like Battaash for his retained owner Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum.

Hills said: “He’s had to really work hard in very tricky conditions. There was a lot against him, the wind was howling, the pace was on the other side, but I think experience won him it today. It’s not easy, it’s similar ground in which he’s been beaten on, but his experience pulled him through.

“If every horse I trained behaved like this today then it would be a very easy job. He was immaculate, the way he behaved – brilliant down at the start, just the ultimate professional now.

“We’ve been working hard on him the last four years, everybody knows it hasn’t been easy, but this season he’s probably been the best he’s ever been, especially down at the start.

“The second showed amazing speed and with the tailwind it can be hard to reel them in, so I knew it was going to be tough.

“I’m so proud of him today, he was brilliant and I probably think it was the best run of his career as conditions were against him – he had to knuckle down and work really hard.”

On plans, he said: “The Abbaye is the obvious route to take, but if the ground is like last year we’d probably avoid it and look elsewhere, but I don’t know where that might be. I’d have to speak to Sheikh Hamdan. At the moment Plan A would be Longchamp.”

Asked about the Breeders’ Cup, Hills said: “That’s definitely going to be a decision from Sheikh Hamdan himself. Plan A is definitely to go to France – then, who knows?

“The world we’re living in at the moment, it’s not easy to have too many set-in-stone plans.

“He’s just the horse of a lifetime really. To show us that enthusiasm throughout – it’s emotional now.”

He added: “It’s been an amazing day for Sheikh Hamdan – it’s great to be involved with that operation, they are so professional and they are being well rewarded.

“Jim’s brilliant. He is amazing, works very hard at what he does. We’re all very proud of a great team.”

Crowley said: “He tried very hard. They went a serious gallop, but he was a real man and stuck his head out. In the past he has always won his races at halfway, so fair play to the second horse. He’s an amazing horse.

“We’re lucky to have him about and it’s fantastic for Sheikh Hamdan – he’s a big supporter of racing and has been for a long time and I’m glad I can repay him in some way. It’s been a golden summer.”

He added: “He’s the horse of a lifetime, you get one in a career, a horse like this.”

Celebration time for Jim Crowley
Celebration time for Jim Crowley (Alan Crowhurst/PA)

Meanwhile, Michael Dods reflected with pride on such a fine run in defeat from his filly Que Amoro.

The County Durham trainer said: “She would have preferred faster ground, and so would he, but 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.”

Royal Ascot winner Art Power was sent off the main market rival to Battaash, but Tim Easterby’s charge never seemed totally happy and finished sixth of the eight starters.

He was ridden by Silvestre de Sousa, who said: “I don’t think he’s run his race. He likes heavy ground and he didn’t have that today. He just didn’t go the pace early on, but he still wasn’t beaten too far.

“Even still, I’d like to think he’s better than that.”