Up To Batt

Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum looks to have an exciting sprinter on his hands in Battaash (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) and he is set to be seriously tested in Friday's G2 Qatar King George S. at Goodwood. Impressive over this trip on his two starts at Sandown this term, the bay took the June 17 Listed Scurry S. and July 8 G3 Sprint S. with authority both on good-to-firm ground, but he has a pedigree for easier conditions. The owner's racing manager Angus Gold is in the dark regarding that factor. “I suggest it might be sticky, but I just don't know. He's had knee problems, so you never know if they will go on this ground,” he said. “It's going to blunt his speed a bit, I would have thought. Charlie [Hills] is very keen to run him, so I can only imagine we'll be there. He was very good at Sandown. You certainly can't fault what he's done this year.”

Another who is unproven on this surface is Marsha (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}), who was surprisingly beaten in The Curragh's G2 Sapphire S. last time on July 15. Last year's G1 Prix de l'Abbaye heroine looked a world-beater when defying a penalty on her return in the G3 Palace House S. at Newmarket on May 6, but after a third to Lady Aurelia (Scat Daddy) in the G1 King's Stand S. at Royal Ascot on June 20 and her latest eclipse she no longer has an air of invincibility. “She came back from Ireland fine and because we felt it was quite a long time until the Nunthorpe at York, we thought we'd let her run here first,” explained Dan Downie, racing manager for owners Elite Racing Club. “Five furlongs at Goodwood is probably as sharp as she'd wanted, so we were hoping for genuine good ground rather than rattling quick ground, but obviously soft ground wouldn't be ideal.”

Now 10, Take Cover (GB) (Singspiel {Ire}) bids to make history by winning this a third time and comes here on the back of a perfect confidence-building success over Final Venture (GB) (Equiano {Fr}) in York's Listed City Walls S. on July 15. Trainer David Griffiths said, “He worked on Monday and worked well. He's come out of it in good form and he's ready to go. I'm not worried about the draw, as we're near the favourite [Battaash] and I would imagine the rest will follow us. The one worry would obviously be the ground. He can handle soft, but he's better on quick ground and in these races you want everything spot-on. Having said that, they've all got to go through it, our horse looks a million dollars and I think he goes there with a big chance.”

Clive Cox has both the G1 King's Stand S. runner-up Profitable (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) and G2 Temple S. winner Priceless (GB) (Exceed and Excel {Aus}), and conditions could be more ideal for the former after he won the King's Stand on soft last year. “Of the two of mine, I think Profitable would probably be more favoured on the ground,” he said. “He has winning form in soft ground and I thought he ran a fantastic race at Ascot on ground that was quicker than ideal for him. He was giving nine pounds to Lady Aurelia and I was very proud of his performance. Timing-wise, the gap between Ascot and Goodwood is perfect and he goes there fresh and well. Priceless probably wouldn't be as well suited on softer ground, but she's in good form.”