BAT UNLEASHED
STAR sprinter Battaash, who this week was elevated to the status of No.1 horse in Europe according to Timeform, is the top draw at next week’s Ebor Festival at York.
Charlie Hills’ stable star is on target for the £350,000 Coolmore Nunthorpe Stakes – with revenge as the sub plot.
Battaash put up a dazzling career-best victory last time in the King George Stakes at Glorious Goodwood, thrashing a strong field by four lengths and more.
That scintillating display earned him a Timeform mark of 136 – the same as joint top-rated Cracksman – and sets up a mouthwatering rematch with Blue Point, who beat the Hills speedster in the King’s Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot.
Hills said: “Battaash has come out of Goodwood very well. He is obviously race fit so he doesn’t need to do much at home between now and then. He was impressive at Goodwood and did it really well.
“We were beaten by Blue Point at Royal Ascot – he is in there again – but a flat five furlongs will suit us more and we are really looking forward to running.”
The Welcome to Yorkshire Ebor Festival runs for four days from Wednesday, August 22 to Saturday, August 25.
For tickets please call 01904 620911 x 225 or visit www.yorkracecourse.co.uk
An unlikely British outsider for the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe emerged at Deauville yesterday.
Harry Dunlop’s Knight To Behold has been introduced to the betting for the big October prize in Paris after outpointing the hat-trick-seeking French Derby winner Study Of Man under a canny front-running Oisin Murphy ride.
Elsewhere on the Deauville card, Andre Fabre saddled two Group winners – but in owners’ colours which are familar to British race fans – Wind Chimes (Derrick Smith) and Talismanic (Godolphin).