Battaash eyes Goodwood quadruple ahead of York tilt

Battaash – the 2019 Nunthorpe hero and mount of former champion jockey Jim Crowley – will bid to win the King George Qatar Stakes for a record fourth time. Trained by Charlie Hills, the Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum-owned speedster has looked unbeatable on the Sussex Downs where the downhill five-furlong track plays to his considerable strengths.

However, there will be plenty of new challengers queuing up to take him on in York’s Coolmore Nunthorpe Stakes, if, as many expect, he comes through Goodwood unscathed next week.

In recent days the three-year-olds A’Ali and Art Power have been confirmed for the Knavesmire – and there are even juveniles of the calibre of Golden Pal, The Lir Jet and Frenetic set to take advantage of the huge weight allowance given to two-year-olds.

“There’s been lots of talk about the Nunthorpe, but it’s Goodwood first,” said the owner’s racing manager Angus Gold.
“Goodwood certainly plays to his strengths down that hill. I don’t want to jeopardise anything but, in previous years, his speed has killed them off by halfway.

“Come the Nunthorpe it will be a different challenge as it looks as if there could be a few two-year-olds this year – but that is what you do it for. It’s nice to have the problem to worry about.

“We’ve had so much fun with this horse, he owes us nothing. He’s been a star, so we’ll take each race as it comes, hope he can win at Goodwood and then see if he is in good shape heading to York.”

In his younger days Battaash was prone to get upset and disappoint on the odd occasion. But he has seemingly mellowed with age and racing behind closed doors is no disadvantage, as he showed when winning the King’s Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot last month.

“I’m not going to say racing behind closed doors makes all the difference, as he’s won in front of big crowds, but it’s not a negative for him,” said Gold, who added that no decision on a Breeders’ Cup bid has been made. “He’s six but, from what we saw at Ascot, he’s certainly not slowing down yet – he looked to have retained all his speed.”

Meanwhile, Ger Lyons, Ireland’s Classic-winning trainer, is looking fror a jockey who can ride at eight stone if his juvenile filly Frenetic is to venture to York this summer.

That leaves Lyons seeking a rider capable of making that mark for his charge, who blazed a trail on her first two starts over five furlongs before falling just a head short when upped to six furlongs in a Curragh Group Two on Sunday.

“It wouldn’t be my style running a two-year-old against their elders, but she’s all speed,” said Lyons.

“I think she’s very fast, but the problem we could have is a jockey as she’ll have a very low weight.”

Lyric Fantasy famously took advantage of the hefty weight allowances against older horses to triumph in 1992, while Kingsgate Native was the last juvenile to lift the Group One prize in 2007.

n Stradivarius will face a maximum of six rivals – including Irish Derby hero Santiago – when he bids for an historic fourth victory in the Al Shaqab Goodwood Cup on Tuesday.

John Gosden’s remarkable stayer joined the popular Double Trigger as a three-time winner of the two-mile Group One 12 months ago.

The six-year-old proved he remains at the peak of his powers with a terrific display at Royal Ascot last month – winning the Gold Cup for the third year in succession under Frankie Dettori.

Aidan O’Brien is represented solely by Santiago, who won the Queen’s Vase at the Royal meeting before going on to Classic glory at the Curragh.

Middleham trainer Mark Johnston’s Nayef Road could renew rivalry with Stradivarius after finishing second in the Gold Cup, while Eagles By Day is seen as a possible to step up in class after landing the Silver Cup at York for Upper Helmsley trainer, David O’Meara.

n Catterick trainer Phil Kirby reports that staying steeplechaser Top Ville Ben is back in training.

A runaway winner of Wetherby’s Rowland Meyrick Chase on Boxing Day under Tommy Dowson, Top Ville Ben was on the track for the Grand National before the Covid-19 lockdown.

Kirby says the Charlie Hall Chase at Wetherby in early November will be the horse’s first target – his charge was fifth in the 2019 contest.

Editor’s note: first and foremost - and rarely have I written down these words with more sincerity - I hope this finds you well.

Almost certainly you are here because you value the quality and the integrity of the journalism produced by The Yorkshire Post’s journalists - almost all of which live alongside you in Yorkshire, spending the wages they earn with Yorkshire businesses - who last year took this title to the industry watchdog’s Most Trusted Newspaper in Britain accolade.

And that is why I must make an urgent request of you: as advertising revenue declines, your support becomes evermore crucial to the maintenance of the journalistic standards expected of The Yorkshire Post. If you can, safely, please buy a paper or take up a subscription. We want to continue to make you proud of Yorkshire’s National Newspaper but we are going to need your help.

Postal subscription copies can be ordered by calling 0330 4030066 or by emailing [email protected]. Vouchers, to be exchanged at retail sales outlets - our newsagents need you, too - can be subscribed to by contacting subscriptions on 0330 1235950 or by visiting www.localsubsplus.co.uk where you should select The Yorkshire Post from the list of titles available.

If you want to help right now, download our tablet app from the App / Play Stores. Every contribution you make helps to provide this county with the best regional journalism in the country.

Sincerely. Thank you.

James Mitchinson

Editor