Battaash (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) has been scratched from Sunday's G1 Prix de l'Abbaye due to the heavy ground and could instead be re-routed to the Breeders' Cup on Nov. 7 at Keeneland.
The 6-year-old gelding Battaash is a perfect three-for-three this year, but he beat just two home in a rare below-par performance in last year's Abbaye over the very soft ground.
“They have had 13 millimetres of rain overnight, added to the rest earlier in the week,” said trainer Charlie Hills. “I think it was 4.1 on the penetrometer last year and it's probably going to be the same, if not worse than that, this year, so we won't be running.”
Of Battaash's Breeders' Cup prospects, Hills added, “We'll have to see how he is. There's one obvious race for him in America, but we'll just have to see.”
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