By Tom Frary
Shadwell had watched the first three races fall their way at York's Ebor Festival on Friday and so there were more than the usual share of nerves as their flagship Battaash (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) went to post for the G1 Coolmore Nunthorpe S. In the event, he gave the team their most anxious moments of all the races they conquered on the card as he had to graft to subdue yet another flying filly from Michael Dods's Darlington yard in Que Amoro (Ire) (Es Que Love {Ire}). Finally managing to shake off her attentions in the last 100 yards, the 1-2 favourite earned a length success as Moss Gill (Ire) (No Nay Never) also excelled himself two lengths away in third. The landmark win followed that in the opening handicap of Alfaatik (GB) (Sea the Stars {Ire}), of Enbihaar (Ire) (Redoute's Choice {Aus}) in the G2 Weatherbys Hamilton Lonsdale Cup and of Minzaal (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}) in the G2 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Gimcrack S. “Relief is the right word,” trainer Charlie Hills commented. “It's great to see the team do so well–they are all so professional in everything they do and it's been well rewarded.”
On Battaash's best days, Jim Crowley has been merely a passenger on Battaash and in all four of his successes in Goodwood's G2 King George S., his track record-breaking win here 12 months ago, his 2017 G1 Prix de l'Abbaye romp and emotional victory in the June 16 G1 King's Stand S. at Royal Ascot he has only had to stay in the saddle. This affair, on the softest ground that the 6-year-old has encountered since his tame effort in October's Abbaye at ParisLongchamp, he was made to engage a long way out by the stand's rail runner Que Amoro who had previously finished third behind Moss Gill in the course-and-distance Listed City Walls S. Dods conjured two Nunthorpe wins out of Mecca's Angel (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) and an Abbaye victory out of Mabs Cross (GB) (Dutch Art {GB}) who was also narrowly denied in this in 2018 and for a brief period heading to the furlong pole it looked as if he had produced another giant-killer from his yard.
Battaash had started out up the centre of the track, but Crowley explained afterwards that his less-than-direct passage from halfway was partly due to the prevailing high wind and partly due to the respect shown to the filly. “We went one hell of a gallop and there's a tailwind, which is blowing across the track towards the stands rail,” he explained. “I tried not to let the leader go too far ahead and fair play to the second, she ran a mighty race and was hard to pass. He doesn't normally have to battle–he usually has his races won at halfway, but he really had to be a man today and stuck his neck out. He really galloped and tried really hard, so we got it just right. He's really changed this horse–he took a nice bite going down but he was good at the start and everything was like clockwork. He's a horse of a lifetime and to get one like this you are lucky.”
Charlie Hills has in mind a return to ParisLongchamp, but does not want the ground to be as soft as last year. “That was tough out there today and experience has probably been what has counted,” he said. “He's been beaten twice in the past here on ground like that, but he's grown up mentally and has matured with age. He behaved the best ever today and with conditions like that–the high wind–it can't be easy for any those horses down there at the start. The obvious route to take is the Abbaye, but if the ground is like it was last year we'd probably avoid it and look elsewhere. I'll speak to Sheikh Hamdan and we'll make a plan.”
Whether Battaash is there on Arc day or not, Dods is keen to go there with the runner-up and he said, “She would have preferred faster ground and 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.”
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 also in training with Charlie Hills.
Friday, York, Britain
COOLMORE NUNTHORPE S.-G1, £250,000, York, 8-21, 2yo/up, 5fT, :57.38, gd.
1–BATTAASH (IRE), 137, 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. £141,775. Lifetime Record: 2x Hwt. Older Horse-Eur at 5-7f, Hwt. 3yo-Fr at 5-7f & G1SW-Fr, 23-13-2-3, $2,260,148. Werk Nick Rating: A+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Que Amoro (Ire), 134, f, 4, Es Que Love (Ire)–Onomatomania, by Mr. Greeley. (28,000gns Ylg '17 TAOCT). O-P Appleton & Mrs Anne Elliott; B-Rathasker Stud (IRE); T-Michael Dods. £53,750.
3–Moss Gill (Ire), 137, g, 4, No Nay Never–Sharaarah (Ire), by Oasis Dream (GB). (£30,000 RNA Ylg '17 GOUKPR). O-G Van Cutsem, J Bethell & S Bethell; B-Camas Park & Lynch Bages (IRE); T-James Bethell. £26,900.
Margins: 1, 2, HF. Odds: 0.50, 22.00, 22.00.
Also Ran: A'Ali (Ire), Kurious (GB), Art Power (Ire), Ornate (GB), Emaraaty Ana (GB). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
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