Hills hoping right Battaash turns up for York speed test

BATTAASH is the fastest thing on four legs at the moment and today’s Coolmore Nunthorpe Stakes (3.35) would appear to be his to lose after a facile four-length success in the King George Stakes at Goodwood recently.

Sheikh Hamdan’s four-yearold, which won last year’s Prix de l’Abbaye by four lengths, is very quick but, perhaps unfairly, has a reputation for being on the edge after blowing this race last year.

He has not done much wrong since and Charlie Hills felt that he had not quite come to himself at Royal Ascot when he was second to Blue Point in the King’s Stand.

However, the logistics of York, where the runners have to walk across the Knavesmire from the racecourse stables, will test any flaws in his character and, to be on the safe side, Hills will saddle him in the racecourse stables and box him over.

Hills is sure that a certain amount of mental maturity has come with experience and age.

“People crib him, but he won four out of five starts last year and you’d take that with any horse,” he said.

If the bolshy Battaash, opposed to the brilliant Battaash, turns up Blue Point is the obvious candidate to benefit returning to five after a lacklustre effort in the July Cup.

At the opposite end of the distance scale, the Lonsdale Stakes may be a Group Two but to one horse, at least, it is worth a £1m.

Having won the Yorkshire Cup, Gold Cup and Goodwood Cup, Stradivarius stands on the brink of winning the inaugural Stayers’ Million bonus offered by today’s sponsor.

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John Gosden cannot have been overly upset to see his big rival Torcedor sold to Germany, where his Melbourne Cup plans do not include this race.

Red Verdon looks the danger but realistically a 3lb penalty should not stop Stradivarius.

Willie Mullins runs Max Dynamite, which has claimed second and third in the Melbourne Cup since winning this race in 2015, but whose recent form leaves him with plenty to find on the market leader.

Patrick Mullins, assistant to his father, said: “Stradivarius looks very difficult to beat, but any horse can have an off-day.

“Max Dynamite has twice run really well in Melbourne and we are trying to go there again – a good run in York will put him in line for that.”

Further Irish representation comes in the shape of the Aidan O’Brientrained Idaho, which was a creditable third in the Goodwood Cup on his first try at two miles.

On the local scene, Nessun Dorma switches back to jumps in the featured At The Races Handicap Hurdle at Killarney today in search of a hat-trick.

Willie Mullins’ charge has already scored twice on the level this summer. Under an inspired front-running ride from Billy Lee, he landed the Guinness Handicap at Ballybrit and now has a lofty Flat rating of 95.

The Canford Cliffs gelding was a little below par when last seen over hurdles at this venue back in May and connections will be hoping for a better show this time.

Both his victories over jumps have come on a decent surface, so the good ground should be a plus for him.

Ruby Walsh is back on board for the first time since he won in impressive fashion at Gowran in June 2017.