King George Qatar Stakes |
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| Group 2, Goodwood 15:35 £312,000 added, 3yo plus, 5f, Class 1  |
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| Friday 31st August 2020 | |
1 Battaash 2/7F
2 Glass Slippers 14/1
3 Ornate 100/1
7 ran Distances: 2¼l, nk, 4l
Time: 55.62s (fast by 1.28s)
😍 BATAASH blasts his rivals out of the way to win a 4th consecutive King George Qatar Stakes in style!
— Stephen R Power (@racingblogger) July 31, 2020
He's just broken the course record #Superstar 🚀pic.twitter.com/7EECv5SdkL
Outstanding sprinter Battaash (Charlie Hills/Jim Crowley) won this Group 2 for the fourth year in succession. He won the five-furlong contest in a time of 55.62s, a new course record. The previous record was 56.20s, set by Battaash in this race a year ago.
The six-year-old gelding, owned by Hamdan Al Maktoum, was in front after the first two furlongs and never in any serious danger thereafter, coming home two and a quarter lengths to the good of Glass Slippers (Kevin Ryan/Tom Eaves).
Trainer Charlie Hills said: "Battaash is so talented and we are very proud to have a horse like him in the yard.
"He is a six-year-old now and racing is so lucky to have six-year-olds like Battaash, Enable and Stradivarius still doing their stuff.
"Just to be involved in a horse like him just means everything really.
"He has broken his own track record. It is brilliant. Four consecutive Group Twos takes some doing and I am just so proud of him.
"Battaash is not the biggest horse in the world, but he is well-balanced and a true athlete really.
"He might only have two more runs this year and for a six-year-old, he is lightly-raced really.
"We are looking forward to the Nunthorpe now. We'll get that hurdle done and then look at the Abbaye probably. Who knows what is going to happen, it is a strange year and no-one really knows what the future holds.
"We'll keep going until he tells us he is not what he is today."
Jim Crowley said: "He was good. He was getting a bit lonely out in front. It is really hard to find horses quick enough to lead him and he was in front a long way. He was just idling and I had to give him a couple of taps to keep his mind on the job. He is so fast.
"He is very consistent now and, if a horse wants to take him on a race, good luck to them. He is so quick, he just kicks them off at halfway.
"He broke his own record in the race. It is a great team effort from everyone, from the team who put him in the stalls to Charlie [Hills, trainer], Bob [Grace] who looks after him, Victoria who rides him at home. It has been a great week so far and hopefully it is not finished yet."
King George Qatar Stakes (Group 2)
£312,000 added, 3yo plus, 5f, Class 1
7 ran
Going: Good to Firm
1 (4) Battaash 6 9-7 Charles Hills Jim Crowley 2/7F
2 (2) 2¼ Glass Slippers 4 8-13 Kevin Ryan Tom Eaves 14/1
3 (1) nk Ornate 7 9-2 David C Griffiths Oisin Murphy 100/1
4 (6) 4 Liberty Beach 23 8-9 John Quinn Jason Hart 5/1
5 (5) 1½ Dubai Station 3 8-12 K R Burke Tom Marquand 50/1
6 (7) shd Ken Colt t 5 9-2 F Chappet Stephane Pasquier 33/1
7 (3) nk Al Raya 3 8-9 Simon & Ed Crisford William Buick 25/1
