Soft ground made the battle easy for Bateel at Haydock

BATEEL oozed class in registering a first Group-race win in Haydock’s Betway Pinnacle Stakes.

Now trained in France by FrancisHenri Graffard, the former David Simcock inmate relished the soft ground in cruising to a one-and-a-half-length success over Dubka.

Heavily supported in the morning, she was sent off as the 2-1 favourite and Richard Kingscote never looked to have an anxious moment. Bigger targets now await after this Group Three success.

Johnnie Peter-Hoblyn, racing manager for Bateel’s owners, Al Asayl Bloodstock, said: “We’ve been waiting for this ground for a long time.

“We moved her to France from David Simcock for soft ground and ironically we end up at Haydock.

“On this ground she’s a very good filly and all the good mile-and-a-half races will be open to her, but we’ll pick and choose when the ground is right.

“The Prix de Pomone is a big target in the autumn and hopefully she’ll be back at Ascot on Champions Day. She ran there last year. The ground was rock hard but every other year it has been soft.

“We’re now beginning to see the best of her and there’s more to come.”

Andrew Balding’s owners will be asking the Kingsclere handler to stay at home in future after Absolutely So (6-1) landed the Betway John of Gaunt Stakes.

Balding has now missed his three biggest winners of the season, having also been absent at Chester when Montaly claimed the Chester Cup and Blond Me won the Middleton Stakes at York.

The seven-year-old dug deep to collar Jallota close home, winning by half a length under David Probert.

Balding’s wife, Anna Lisa, said: “David really did give him a lovely ride and I’m so pleased for the owners, the Smith family. They’ve been very patient as he’s not been that straightforward, with a few Bateel after yesterday’s victory niggles. It’s brilliant seeing him win a nice race, it’s just reward for them.

“Even though he’s now seven he’s shown he’s as good as ever.

“We’ll make a plan when we see how he comes out of this.” Probert had earlier won the Betway Dash Handicap on David Barron’s Handsome Dude (8-1) in a tight three-way finish.

“I was confident he’d get there when