Battaash (Ire)

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.,...

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Nunthorpe Next Port of Call for The Lir Jet
Nunthorpe Next Port of Call for The Lir Jet

Royal Ascot hero The Lir Jet (Ire) (Prince of Lir {Ire}), second by only a nose in the G2 Prix Robert Papin at Chantilly on Sunday, will make his next start against elders in the G1 Coolmore Nunthorpe S. in August. Originally campaigned by Nick Bell and trained by Michel Bell, the bay sparkled on debut at Yarmouth on June 3 and was subsequently purchased privately by Sheikh Fahad's Qatar Racing. The acquisition proved a shrewd one, as The Lir Jet captured the G2 Norfolk S. at Royal Ascot on...

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Battaash Brilliant In the King's Stand

Twice cruelly denied by his nemesis Blue Point (Ire) (Shamardal) in the last two runnings of the G1 King's Stand S., Battaash (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) was on Tuesday the undisputed ruler of Royal Ascot's five-furlong strip of verdant racing ground to provide the opener's undisputed highlight. Out of the first four for only the second time in his career when last seen trailing in the G1 Prix de l'Abbaye de Longchamp, Shadwell's 6-year-old may have had a slight question mark over his head as he exited the stalls but...

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A Different Kind of Royal Meeting

It's Royal Ascot once again, but not as we know it. No crowds, no fashion, no Queen. It is a case of "Royal Ascot At Home" for virtually everybody this year, even for the main players whose money makes it all possible. That said, at least there is still Frankie, Aidan O'Brien, Wesley Ward, Sir Michael Stoute and Battaash (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) and all the other working equine and human cast and crew that make this week so special. One of Britain's most brilliant racehorses of recent years, Battaash...

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Battaash Points to Royal Ascot

Charlie Hills-trained Battaash (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}), a MGSW for Sheikh Hamdan, has returned to Hills's Faringdon Place in preparation for contesting Royal Ascot in June, Shadwell. "He's come back very well," Hills said. "He was a little more wintry than last year, but the last couple weeks, his coat has really been coming through. He's physically done well and I'm happy with him. He's had one swinging canter and we're just trying to keep him ticking over. He's not a big horse, so he doesn't take as much training...

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