By Sean Cronin
Battaash (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) swept through his sophomore campaign registering wins in the Listed Scurry S., G3 Coral Charge and G2 King George S., and brought the curtain down on last year with a stunning performance in Chantilly's Oct. 1 G1 Prix de l'Abbaye. Sent off as the odds-on chalk for this seasonal return, the world's top-rated sprinter had undergone a wind operation in the wake of that latest triumph and was caught napping in the outside box as the gates opened. Easing into contention at halfway, having been left in rear initially, he was stoked up approaching the final eighth and kept on strongly under a late drive to get up in the dying strides, becoming the first contender to defy a penalty since Airwave (GB) (Air Express {Ire}) did so in 2003. At the line he had a head and a short head to spare over Washington DC (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}) and Kachy (GB) (Kyllachy {GB}), respectively. “He jumped slowly today, which meant he got a lead, but they were spread across the track and the race developed away from us,” explained trainer Charles Hills. “He got a bit tired in the last half-furlong, but we have left a bit to work on and this was always a prep. It was his first run, he hasn't even come in his coat yet and conceding five pounds to some very good horses was always going to be hard. There are a few things we can learn from heading to [the June 19 G1 King's Stand S. at Royal] Ascot, but he's given some good horses weight and a beating. Kachy is a very good horse. Whatever the ground is doesn't bother him, he's broken track records and won an Abbaye on soft.”
Battaash, kin to the 3-year-old colt Littlelordconford (Ire) (Intikhab) and a yearling filly by Gutaifan (Ire), is the first foal bred from Anna Law (Ire) (Lawman {Fr}), herself a half-sister to four black-type performers headed by G2 Champagne S. victor Etlaala (GB) (Selkirk). Anna Law is also a half-sister to Bird Key (GB) (Cadeaux Genereux {GB}), who in turn produced last year's G2 Duke of York S. hero and G1 Diamond Jubilee S., G1 Haydock Sprint Cup and G1 British Champions Sprint runner-up Tasleet (GB) (Showcasing {GB}). Battaash's third dam Noirmant (Ire) (Dominion {GB}) is a half-sister to G1 Prix Royal-Oak victor Braashee (Sadler's Wells), four-time Group 3 winner Adam Smith (GB) (Sadler's Wells) and G3 Nell Gwyn S. victress Ghariba (Ire) (Final Straw {GB}). The latter, in turn, is the dam of Listed Silver Spoon S. heroine Promptly (Ire) (Lead On Time), herself the dam of the G3 Autumn S. scorer and G1 Racing Post Trophy runner-up Fantastic View (Distant View).
Saturday, Haydock, Britain
ARMSTRONG AGGREGATES TEMPLE S.-G2, £100,000, Haydock, 5-26, 3yo/up, 5fT, :57.36, gd.
1–BATTAASH (IRE), 135, g, 4, by Dark Angel (Ire)
1st Dam: Anna Law (Ire), by Lawman (Fr)
2nd Dam: Portelet (GB), by Night Shift
3rd Dam: Noirmant (Ire), by Dominion (GB)
(200,000gns Ylg '15 TAOCT). O-Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum; B-Ballyphilip Stud (IRE); T-Charles Hills; J-Dane O'Neill. £56,710. Lifetime Record: Hwt. 3yo-Fr at 5-7f & G1SW-Fr, 11-6-0-3, $664,226. Werk Nick Rating: A+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Washington DC (Ire), 130, h, 5, Zoffany (Ire)–How's She Cuttin' (Ire), by Shinko Forest (Ire). (75,000gns Wlg '13 TATFOA; €340,000 Ylg '14 GOFORB). O-Susan Magnier, Michael Tabor & Derrick Smith; B-P Hyland, C McHale & J McHale (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien. £21,500.
3–Kachy (GB), 130, h, 5, Kyllachy (GB)–Dubai Bounty (GB), by Dubai Destination. (£52,000 Ylg '14 DNPRM). O-David Lowe; B-Denniff Farms Ltd (GB); T-Tom Dascombe. £10,760.
Margins: HD, NO, HF. Odds: 0.90, 16.00, 2.50.
Also Ran: Mabs Cross (GB), Muthmir (Ire), Havana Grey (GB), Take Cover (GB), Doctor Sardonicus (GB), Mrs Gallagher (GB), Encore d'Or (GB), Just Glamorous (Ire). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
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